Where Do We Go From Here?
by FourFaces
Summary: Set 10 years after the cluster was stopped, Yellow Diamond's armada has finally reached earth. Steven, Connie, the Crystal Gems, and their allies are going to try and save the earth, at a high personal price. Cross-posted to Archive of Our Own and Tumblr. Rating and title may change. Major Character Deaths (kinda). HIATUS UNTIL LATE FEB/EARLY MARCH
1. The Heat of Battle

The heat from the flames was intense. He wasn't sure how long he had been unconscious, but the battle obviously was still raging around him. An inhuman scream shook him back to reality as the gem hybrid staggered up to his feet.

It had been 10 years since the cluster had been stopped and Malachite dragged herself back into the ocean after Jasper nearly took control in an attempt to crush the crystal gems only to be subdued by Lapis. It was an uneasy truce. They had separated after the news of the impending touchdown of Homeworld's armada, Lapis joining Steven and Jasper rejoining Homeworld. No one was certain how Jasper managed to get off world, but they were even more surprised to see her still holding high rank when she returned with the first fleet of warriors instead of being crushed for cowardice.

The Crystal Gems had known this would happen. A transmission that had been intercepted from another Gem-controlled planet had warned them of it 2 years after the cluster was stopped and they had begun attempts at shoring up their own defenses. When Malachite was unfused 5 years later, Lapis had almost too eagerly thrown herself into training alongside those who were once her enemies. When the armada touched down, most of Beach City had been evacuated, with Greg reluctantly leaving Steven and helping to lead people out of town and to safety.

The humans who stayed were given access to armor and weapons from Rose's armory, but still warned to leave if things got too serious. The last that Steven had seen, Onion, Jenny, and Buck were somewhere near what used to be the pier. They would probably retreat soon. It was OK though. The Crystal Gems had their own army now.

After a near corruption of Peridot 3 years after the destruction of the cluster, they had come up with a way to help the bubbled gems in the temple and any other corrupted gems that they found. They could never have their humanoid forms again, but they were tamed … almost aware of themselves.

It was 5 years ago that Steven almost lost Connie for the first time. During fight with a corrupted gem who had not yet been tamed, something went wrong. Connie got between the gem and Steven who could not summon his shield and was seriously injured.

That was their first kiss. They wouldn't talk about it for a long time after that, focusing more on trying to save the earth instead of their own budding relationship. They each thought that they would have time after the end of the war.

A blast of ice shook Steven out of his reverie once more. __Sapphire and Ruby must have split at some point in the battle,__ he thought. He followed the trail of ice to see the Homeworld Gem, frozen in its' tracks. It poofed in moments, the ice shattering it. He looked back to see Sapphire, a picture of calm rage.

"Where's Ruby?" he asked when he found his voice finally.

Sapphire produced a small, red gem from her dress and then put it back before aiming at a gem that was flanking her.

"You need to go find Connie. She was last seen near a Tourmaline. She will need your help soon," Sapphire said, cooly. "I will be fine."

Steven nodded and ran through the battlefield, shield up and ready.

He looked around, watching former gem monsters, now allies, attacking the Homeworld gems. A bright orb flew over head, landing in a crowd of Homeworld Gems before exploding, immediately shattering the group. Peridot's doing, of course. Pearl had spent many months teaching Peridot to summon a weapon. Peridot had learned to summon orb-like bombs that could be useful in pushing back an enemy. Of all of their allies, Peridot was the most eager to prove herself to the Crystal Gems after all of these years.

A shriek and Steven watched the Centipeedle come in between him and a Moonstone, a more battle ready version of a Pearl. Peridot had told him about their design after intercepting transmissions from Homeworld. She blushed at the explanation of how they used to just be a higher class servant than a Pearl until stories came back about the war for Earth and the Pearl used by the "traitorous Rose Quartz". Now Moonstones were repurposed as elegant warriors, happily kept by many elite gems for protection.

Centipeedle hissed at the Moonstone and spit acid at her, the Moonstone shrieking and producing a spear in response. Centipeedle then tackled the gem, knocking the spear from her hands. Steven could not stop to help however. He made a mental note to check on his first "monster buddy" after the battle.

"Steven!" he heard a cry over the chaos. He turned to see Connie and Pearl, back to back, facing a trio of Rubies. They were very different from the one he was familiar with. Flames shot out of their gauntlets as they formed a triangle around the pair.

"Stay back! We have this!" Pearl cried out as the Rubies drew closer.

"I still think you could use a little help," Steven said before launching his shield at a Ruby's back, slicing through it. The Ruby poofed, causing the other two to direct their attention to Steven. He called his shield back, slicing its way through another Ruby before it returned.

Connie leapt at the final Ruby and cut it down before joining Steven.

"Where have you been?" She asked as she turned to face the Tourmaline that she had escaped.

"I got knocked out by a Beryl. Not sure how long I was out, but I think Garnet took it down before she separated."

"I don't think I can beat this one alone," Connie grinned. "I think Stevonnie might be able to handle this one though."

Steven nodded and joined hands with Connie. They had perfected their fusion dance, much like Garnet's. All they needed was a twirl and they were together. Normally their thoughts were still protected from each other. However, both of them had troubled thoughts going into the fusion. Stevonnie shuddered for a moment before remembering why they were here. They had one purpose - protect each other so they could live to talk out their thoughts later.

The Tourmaline stood, shocked at the fusion of a human and a gem, which gave them a distinct advantage at the start of the skirmish. The Tourmaline swung at Stevonnie with her axe. They dodged the attack and sliced at one of her legs. She screamed in pain and swung around, only to be hit in the face with the shield. She landed a glancing blow on Stevonnie's arm, producing a shallow cut. They growled and leaped at the Tourmaline again, slicing down the middle. She shuddered and poofed.

Stevonnie stood, looking out at the battlefield. They were winning. They knew it.

"Good job!" A mirthful voice called behind them. They turned to see Amethyst, coiling up her whip, "Want to help me take down a Diamond?" she chuckled.

"We'll need more than just the three of us to take her down," They stated, looking out at the battlefield.

Steven and Connie's thoughts were whirling around in their head.

 _ _If something were to happen to you, I couldn't go on.__

 _ _I almost lost you …__

Stevonnie grasped their head. The thoughts were almost enough to make her unfuse. This was not the time for their much needed talk.

"Are you going to be OK?" Amethyst asked.

"Yeah. Just thinking … remembering. Let's try and find the others."

Amethyst nodded and the two set out to gather their core group. Pearl was found first, resting after taking out a large Amethyst with her spear. She looked up at Amethyst and Stevonnie and blushed.

"Sorry, Amethyst. I had to -"

"It's cool," she grinned. "That one was bothering me a moment ago before I got distracted by a Moonstone. It's funny, P. They really keep trying to perfect their higher end servant class gems. I think you really scared them with whatever stories Jasper had. Shouldn't try to remake something that already works."

Pearl grinned.

"Pearl, we need to find Sapphire. It might be time to try the Temple Fusion," Stevonnie stated. They were still grappling with their thoughts and emotions. __Wait, do you really feel that? Or is that just a side effect of fusing?__

"Wait … What about Ruby?" Pearl asked.

"They had to unfuse. Hopefully Ruby has regenerated by now," Stevonnie said.

A cloud of steam erupting from an area near the temple called their attention.

"Looks like she has," Amethyst exclaimed before she began to run to the temple.

They charged past the remaining combatants. There was no sign of the humans that had stayed to help fight. Hopefully, they had left and were safe. It became obvious that the former gem monsters had the remaining Homeworld Gems on the retreat.

They reunited with Ruby and Sapphire who had steamed their attackers back into their gems.

"You want to fuse," Sapphire said upon seeing the group. "I can see many different outcomes, but this may have the most desirable effect. We should tread warily, though," she grimaced. "I see one unfavorable outcome that has a higher chance of actually happening than I would like."

Across the battlefield, Peridot and Lapis were leading the charge of former Gem Monsters towards Jasper's battalion of Rubies. Jasper turned to see them and laughed.

"You foolish clods," she gloated. "Don't you see that ultimately you can never win? Even if you take down Yellow Diamond's armada, there is still White and Blue diamond to deal with. And a Diamond always has someone to take her place. Someone stronger than either of you."

Lapis growled and pulled up a wave from the ocean. "I can drown you once and for all, Jasper. Sink you to depths so low you'll never be able to crawl out."

Jasper turned to see the wave and nodded to a group of 10 rubies who immediately fused and launched a giant, flaming punch at the wave, evaporating it into steam.

"You see, Lapis, things have changed since you were last on Homeworld, as you saw. I hadn't told you that fusion techniques had been improved. Fusing as many gems of the same type as possible as quickly as possible has made it so we can easily overpower you," Jasper laughed.

"Ugh. I'm so sick of this clod!" Peridot groaned. "You're worse than the janitor in Lonely Blade Vee-Eye!"

She launched a bomb at Jasper who activated her helmet and butted it back at Peridot. "Your aim is off, drone," she laughed.

Before Peridot could react, her view was blocked by a blue body. She looked up to see Lapis smile sadly at her, enveloping her with her watery wings.

"You know what to do," she said. "Save Steven."

The shockwave knocked Peridot out of Lapis' protective embrace. She rose to see Jasper laughing over Lapis' cracked gem. Before she could lunge, Jasper grabbed it and held it high.

"Pity that she was crushed, saving a lost gem like you," Jasper laughed before crushing Lapis' gem in her strong hands. Peridot was frozen in fear.

"I won't even bother with you. You're nothing without your limb enhancers, anyway. I'm off to meet with my destiny. Yellow Diamond's Sapphire revealed to me that something wonderful could happen, and I'm not about to miss my promotion," Jasper gloated as she led her batallion of Rubies away.

Peridot looked down at the shards that remained of Lapis. It soon clicked what was going to happen.

She had to stop them.

The Temple Fusion towered over the battlefield, swiping Homeworld gems out of the way. They had to make it to Yellow Diamond. They were more in sync than they had expected to be. One common goal of saving the earth.

A cluster of Moonstones charged at the Fusion. A loud roar distracted them, and a blur of pink ripped through the crowd. Lion stood victorious over the poofed gems. He growled and led the way to Yellow Diamond who was pearched on the hand shaped ship that still sat on the beach. Next to her was a Peridot, wearing the same limb enhancers that the Crystal Gems' ally used to wear. It sat, hands at the ready to do Yellow Diamond's bidding.

"You meet me as a fusion. How fitting. I can end all of you together and finally take over this miserable planet so we can resume Kindergarten operations."

"Even if we fall, we still have our army and the people of this planet. They will not let you take their home," the Fusion grinned.

"I wouldn't be so sure about your army," Yellow Diamond laughed. She motioned to the Peridot that was seated next to her. This one nodded and pulled up a screen with her hand. She pressed a button and every Moonstone's gem began to glow. The ship rose up, hovering over the beach.

Realization of what was to come dawned quickly. Lion roared and warped away.

"Bubble. Now," a voice in the Fusion said.

They were enveloped in pink during the ensuing explosion. As the dust cleared, they found themselves standing in a crater, littered with shattered gems of enemy and ally alike.

The ship lowered and Yellow Diamond stepped down to meet the fusion who dropped their bubble.

"Why would you do this? You even shattered your own army!" Another voice in the confused fusion asked.

"There will be more. This was never meant to be the only mission from Homeworld. This was just meant to clear the way. I have another armada just waiting at the edge of the Kuiper Belt for my signal that you have been defeated. They will come and take this planet and resume Kindergarten operations. With the life that has developed here, my armada will be in control of the strongest Gems in galaxy."

"We'll never let you do this," the fusion growled before summoning each weapon. A pair of gauntlets appeared on two of the hands, a spear and whip were produced from two more gems. The fusion picked up Rose's sword and wielded it while producing her shield. "You will have to shatter us before you can take over this planet."

Yellow Diamond stilled for a moment before producing her own weapon, "Very well. We can do this gem on gem. No tricks. After all, I would love to battle this infamous fusion for myself."

She lunged at the fusion with a spear made of light. They clashed and sparks flew.

Peridot had been taken out to sea rather suddenly by Lion when he had warped next to her and grabbed her. Her eyes widened as she watched the explosion.

"No ..." She whispered.

Lion growled and ran back to the beach on the water. He could still sense that Steven was OK and that was all that mattered.

"Why are we going back?" Peridot asked. "We lost -" She gasped as she saw the battle between the Temple Fusion and Yellow Diamond. "Oh no … they have no idea ..."

When she was nearing the beach, she watched Yellow Diamond fall. The Temple Fusion raised their spear and plunged it into Yellow Diamond's form, poofing her and then shattering her.

"No!" Peridot gasped. She was too late to stop it. Maybe if they stayed fused –.

With a pop, the fusion split. Steven walked over to Yellow Diamond's shards.

"She was a Citrine ..." Garnet confirmed to Steven, finally having reformed as herself. "Much like how your mother was a Rose Quartz who rose in the ranks ..."

"We … we did it then," Steven gasped. "There's no way she would've had the signal sent out, right? We've won for now ..."

He turned to look at Connie who was staring out at the battlefield. He gently grabbed her hand.

"Hey, we did it," he grinned. "I couldn't have done it without you."

She smiled. She could maybe talk to him soon about … everything.

"Steven!" A voice called out.

"Peridot?" Pearl gasped. She was certain she had been destroyed in the explosion. She was happy to see the gem, but the look on her face was troubling. She rode astride Lion who was running as hard as he could to reach the group.

"Look out!" Peridot cried. She had not wanted them all to just focus on her. Someone had to be watching out in case it happened. But no, everyone was watching her now. "Behind you!"

Steven whirled around, but it was too late.

Connie shrieked as she watched the sword's blade pierce through Steven's back. Time seemed to have slowed as they looked at the crazed expression on Jasper as she held the sword that had been plunged into Steven. She laughed as her uniform changed, going from her brutal warrior garb to a more royal uniform. Steven slumped to the ground.

"Finally! I have defeated you, Rose!" She laughed as she set her foot on Steven's gem."And now I can go back to the armada and show them that a new Yellow Diamond is in charge! I will be renowned throughout the cosmos as the one who destroyed Rose Quartz! I'll –"

A slash across her face stopped her mid sentence and caused her to stumble back. She glared down at the human who had attacked her. Connie panted, rage filling her in a way she had never felt before as she stood, protectively, over Steven's rapidly weakening form.

"You dare to challenge me, you pathetic human?" Jasper growled, raising her sword.

Her form shuddered. She gasped and retreated to the ship to yell at the Peridot at the controls.

"Get me out of here, you clod!" she growled at the Peridot. "We need to leave before I poof. I'll be back, Crystal Gems! With the rest of the Homeworld Invasion force!"

The rest of the gems paid her no heed, however. They had turned their attention to Connie who cradled the dying Steven in her arms.

"Steven, please don't leave me. We can get you to your mom's fountain … we can save you," Connie whispered, holding back tears.

"It's OK, Connie. I'm just glad that you're all safe for now," he smiled. "That __you__ are safe ..."

Connie gently pressed her head to Steven's. Pearl cried into Garnet's shoulder as Amethyst grabbed her hand. Garnet stilled, trying to keep herself from coming apart. __How did we not know?__ Peridot stared at Steven and Connie. She had been too late.

"Steven …" Connie whispered.

Steven smiled and cupped her face with his hand as he tried to hold back a cry of pain. He wanted to say more to her. His eyes grew heavier as he tried to stay awake just a little longer.

 _ _I can just close them for a little while …__ He thought. __She'll still be here when I ...__

Connie kissed Steven gently as he faded out of consciousness. When she realized he was no longer responsive, she wept, holding his still form close to her.

"He … he can't poof into his gem, can he?" Peridot whispered, grabbing onto Garnet's arm gently.

Garnet stared forward. She should have seen this coming. She should have known. It was one of several possible outcomes. It hadn't presented itself as the only one until it was too late to react. Right when she looked at Peridot, she had felt that possibility click into place, like a piece of a puzzle. She had to keep it together for everyone else.

A low growl startled everyone. Lion walked over to Steven and rubbed his head against Connie's. She looked up at Lion who chuffed before nudging Steven's gem which glowed dimly.

"Lion … I don't know what you're trying to say ..." She whispered.

He grumbled and his mane glowed. Soon, Connie realized it.

"But … can he survive in there? He said that there wasn't any air when he told me about it-"

Lion growled. Connie gently tried to lift Steven into Lion's mane. Lion helped the rest of the way and soon, Steven was gone. Lion laid down, looking back at the temple. Connie buried her face in Lion's mane.

Garnet watched silently. She had seen this possibility as well, but it was a hazier outcome. They could get Steven back or he could never return. They could also end up with Rose reforming and, while they all missed her, they would miss their Steven more.

"He's been in Lion's mane before, Connie," Garnet said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I'm not sure what is in there, but Lion seems to know what he is doing."

Connie nodded and hugged Lion tighter. They all sat on the beach, looking out at the shards that littered the beach like glass. Normally, the gems would not concern themselves with cleaning up the destruction brought upon the town but Steven would have wanted them to. They would start after they finally got Connie put to bed. After she was settled, they could begin the long task of clean-up.

It wasn't very long before they got to the Temple and helped Connie into Steven's bed. She faced the window and curled up tight with Lion resting against her back. He gently nuzzled her before closing his eyes.

 _ _There is work to do ...__


	2. Into the Lion's Mane

Steven's eyes fluttered open, blinking the world into focus. The gentle swaying of the pink grass soothed him awake as he started to sit up. That's when he noticed the pain and where he was.

"How did I get into Lion's mane? How am I even still alive?" He asked himself. "Why don't I need air?"

The grass rustled behind him.

"Who's there?" He asked, painfully bracing himself in case someone happened to get into Lion's mane after him.

A small, ginger tabby cat bounded out of the grass. It mewed and stared at him. Steven held his hand out to pet it.

"Where did you come from little fella?" he asked.

The cat purred and nuzzled his hand with its heart-shaped nose before walking towards Roses's tree. Steven felt compelled to follow the small cat. He watched as it ran up the hill and sat down in front of the tree and stared at him, knowingly. Everything that Steven had accumulated was still there alongside many of his mother's items. He struggled to rise and then staggered to the top of the hill and collapsed next to the cat.

"Why did you bring me here? What's going on?"

The cat nuzzled him and then rubbed up against the treasure chest that had been long forgotten. When Steven was younger, he often fantasized about opening it, but he never did get around to opening it. Instead, he had set a picture of himself and Connie from her high school prom. She had asked him to come along after getting permission from the principal at her school. He, of course, said yes, and the two had a wonderful time. Granted, Stevonnie almost made an appearance, but Steven had gained more control over fusing by that time.

He held the picture close. He wasn't sure if Connie was still OK on the outside. He was going to tell her everything, but now he wasn't sure if he would ever get the chance.

He then touched the top of the treasure chest. The cat yowled and leaped up to one of the branches of the tree. It scooted its way over to a bubble that floated nearby. Steven watched as the cat pawed at the bubble.

"How did I never notice this?" he asked himself, reaching for the bubble. "I wonder ..."

He grabbed the bubble and popped it, releasing the hopper crystal inside. Steven shielded his eyes as a bright glow enveloped him and the cat. He blinked his eyes into focus. The light began to fade to pink and he could see a translucent form take shape in front of him.

"Mom?" He asked.

"Steven, if you are watching this, then you have discovered how to regenerate. I was not sure if this would be able to happen to you or not and I am sorry for any injury that may have forced this to happen. My hope is that I can help you through this process so that you can continue to experience the wonder of life as a human. My pet should have shown you the way this far and most likely has saved your life. He was a treasured creature who was nearly killed in an accident not long after Greg and I decided to have you. I was able to save him by attempting a sort of fusion on him. I hope you know about fusion by now. I learned a lot during my projects in the Kindergarten, but I finally found a way for it to do some good. He gained some sentience from the gem I fused with him so that he knew what I needed him to do.

"I hope he has guided you and protected you well. You will need to use some of the power I left with him in this gem to heal yourself, but he and I can show you how ..."

He could feel his mother's presence even more now and soon felt himself taken into memories, thoughts, and instincts. While his thoughts tried to stay on what he needed to do, they consistently returned to thoughts of the outside.

It had been a week of the gems trying to comfort Connie as she lay on Steven's bed before Connie truly slept. They had not wanted her to help them clean up the battlefield because they did not know what else they might find that would traumatize the human even more. For the first three days, she almost seemed comatose so it had been much easier. She was completely dead to the world with grief, constantly replaying the battle and everything that went wrong. She had not moved from being curled into a tight ball since that night. Occasionally, Peridot would approach her with a cup of water and a straw to try and at least get her to drink. All of the gems took shifts cleaning her and tending to their comatose friend.

After three days, Connie finally rolled over into another position, her head pressed against Lion's mane, as if she could try to follow Steven in there. The gems had begun taking shifts with Connie while the others worked. Garnet had seen it once before during the war. A human ally who had lost a partner in the war and grieved himself to death. She had watched as he stopped eating, stopped drinking and finally, after a week of this, found a gem weapon and …

Garnet was absent for most shifts, trying not to think about it.

The gems all had wondered what was going on in Connie's head as she stared ahead into Lion's mane. Amethyst had noticed that Lion hadn't moved at all either, but he was an enigma anyway. No one really knew what he was or why he did what he did.

On the seventh day, Connie actually slept.

She tossed and turned most of the night after the initial attempt at sleep. She had been awakened by a horrible dream of Steven's gem being crushed, losing him forever. After that, it was a few moments of her eyes being shut and then startling awake at the twitching of the lion next to her. She finally rolled over onto her stomach and looked up at Steven's headboard.

Not much had changed over the years, other than a few more books that Connie had given him. The rock that he had said Garnet got for him on a mission was still there, as well as a toy dinosaur. Between them was a photo that Steven had taken of Connie when they were much younger as well as a couple other photos of Connie. She looked over at Lion who still slept next to her.

"I wish I had said something," she whispered to herself. "I don't know if I'm ever going to see you again … I failed as your knight and your friend ..."

She buried her face in the Lion's mane and cried. If she had been more aware, she may have finally noticed Lion's unresponsiveness and questioned it. She may have wondered what was going on in his mane. As it was, all she could do was think of Steven and the uncertainty of ever seeing him again.

"Connie?"

Her head jerked up and she looked to see Peridot standing at the threshold of Steven's bedroom. She had once been Connie's height, but now Connie towered over the green gem who was trying not to look at her. Normally, seeing Peridot would send joy through Connie as they had become much closer through the years, but right now ...

"Sorry, I didn't know anyone was in here -" Connie started.

"No, no. I was just sent in to check and see if you were doing OK. Garnet sent me in. We've all been taking turns this past … Um … Half of the shards outside have been bubbled and I think that the humans might be returning sooner than we thought," Peridot murmured. "Basically, we still think you should stay in here for a while longer. Just away from the battlefield. Maybe watch something and take your mind off of things now that you're finally … Amethyst said there's stuff in the fridge that she bought. She said she used your ID and had bought some beer in case we won and … She said you should have it … I still don't understand some of these human customs but ..."

Connie nodded and curled in on herself once more. Normally she would protest and demand to be allowed to help. She was too tired now. She didn't care anymore.

She wasn't sure when Peridot left, but she eventually looked up to see that she was alone in the house again. The sun had started peeking in through the windows. There would be no sleeping tonight. She sighed and turned on the TV, hoping it would distract her. The TV faded in from static to a news report.

"Reports of explosions in Beach City, Delmarva earlier this week had led many to believe that a return of the creatures that left earth thousands of years ago had finally happened. This amateur footage was received from an anonymous source of a craft touching down seems to confirm what many groups throughout the country are now believing ..."

Connie absentmindedly stroked Lion's mane, watching as the reporter was given news of the danger being over and the evacuation order being lifted. Soon, the beach would be flooded with news crews and the rest of the country would know everything about the impending war with the Homeworld Gems. Jasper had gotten away and there was going to be little anyone could do to stop Homeworld.

If only humans knew more about modern gem tech …

The thought occurred to Connie just then – the first coherent thought in a week. She had to go out and tell the gems. They could still save the earth, even if Steven was not going to return. She may yet be able to carry on his legacy.

She bolted down the stairs, leaving the sleeping Lion behind. She had not noticed a change in the lion's form. Faint, ginger stripes had begun to appear in his fur.


	3. Chrysoprase and Gem Experiments

A/N: Thank you for the faves and follows! It means a lot to me!

A little bit longer of a chapter this time. This one will have some headcanon stuff that I am certain will be firmly made non-canon as more is revealed in the show. Also, starting to add in some of the other pairings starting in this chapter. Enjoy!

-FourFaces

Cleaning up the beach was no easy task, even for the gems who worked tirelessly bubbling the shards that littered the beach. Garnet had insisted that they each be bubbled in as close to a complete cluster of shards as possible, so much of the work was sorting through the shards and making sure that the gems weren't placed in a bubble with other gems' parts. Between sorting and bubbling the shards of their comrades and allies and checking on Connie, it had been a stressful week.

Pearl and Garnet had gone through several horrifying flashbacks of the first war during this ordeal. Garnet would seal herself away in her room when they happened while Pearl would find solace in the arms of Amethyst or Peridot, depending on which one was available. Amethyst was irritated with Garnet's insistence that they bubble in this stressful and agonizing way, but what could she do? Garnet was the leader.

Currently, they were on the end of the beach, closest to the boardwalk, most of the weapons having been sent to the bubble room. After the shards were cleared, the area would be considered safe and they would move onto the next. Peridot had been sent in to check on Connie while Pearl and Amethyst worked side by side. No one had seen where Garnet had gone.

"I still think we should have just skipped the sorting and bubbled all of them and sent them back to the temple," Amethyst grumbled to Pearl. "Would've gone a lot quicker and we wouldn't have had to deal with … this … again."

Pearl smirked sadly and pieced together a Turquoise before bubbling her. She moved on to a Moonstone, obviously not one of their allies, and bubbled it after making sure all of her shards were together. It was better than what Yellow Diamond would have done.

"Garnet still is shaken up over discovering those Kindergarten Experiments all those years ago," Pearl sighed. "It makes sense that she wouldn't want that happening again."

"Well, some of these might as well be dust now," Amethyst grumbled, picking up the remains of another Amethyst. "I just think it would be better if we cleared this all up fast so the humans can come back and rebuild. The pier looks creepy like that and I just don't want to deal with this -"

Amethyst was cut short by a gasp. She ran over to Pearl who held the shattered remains of a Chrysoprase. A black band that crossed one of the shards confirmed their fear that it was a specific one.

"Oh no ..." Amethyst whispered. They stared at the shattered gem in silence, Amethyst gently rubbing circles on Pearl's back as the taller gem struggled to hold back tears.

"He will be so upset. He was so proud of how far she came," Pearl finally whispered as Amethyst wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

"I know. He had to have known that this might happen," Amethyst whispered.

"Who else do you think we lost?" Pearl shuddered. "I mean, I know that explosion had to have taken out so many, but Peridot survived somehow … and Jasper ..."

Amethyst hugged Pearl tight. Amethyst had known about Lapis after a session of cuddling on the couch with Peridot while Pearl worked outside with Garnet. Peridot's sobs as she recounted the story had filled the beach house, but somehow didn't awaken Connie from her comatose state during that time. Pearl would find out soon, Amethyst knew it. It would be when they got closer to the water, if Lapis' shards weren't already washed out to sea.

It would have been a fitting burial.

Pearl gently collected all of the former Chrysoprase and bubbled her away. Maybe, if Steven survived, there might be hope for her and the others. _Maybe …_

They continued down the beach, bubbling a Ruby here, an Emerald there. They stopped at the shards of a Larimar who they both knew and dreaded. Even after Steven tamed her, they still were wary of her. She was the only one who they weren't sure they could completely trust.

 _The gem monster that had risen up out of the sea had once been a Larimar, Steven concluded as he dodged a swing from one of her many hooked tentacles. The squid like Gem monster screeched as it flailed, trying to hit anyone in her path._

 _She was wild and angry and Steven wondered for a moment if this was a former Crystal Gem or a former enemy. He watched as Connie swung her sword at one of the tentacles before she bent backwards to avoid another hooked attack. Even in the heat of battle, he had to stop and think about how beautiful she was as she fought. Sure, some of her skill was influenced by learning Pearl's graceful fighting style, but Connie had a grace of her own now._

 _As much as he enjoyed watching her fight, he was afraid for her as well. Sure, they were older now and stronger, but she was still a human and, while Rose's fountain was always an option, Steven wasn't sure if they would be able to get her there soon enough if she was injured in battle. His healing powers had not returned since the incident with his father and he was wondering if they ever would return. Fifteen years old and he still couldn't heal anything. If something happened to the gems or Connie ..._

 _Connie grunted as she parried with one of the hooked tentacles. Steven often wondered, if she still believed she was worthless compared to Steven. Her choice of outfit today, a black Kalari with a red sash, so similar to what she wore during her first lessons, had not put his mind at ease at all._

" _Peridot! Now!" Garnet's voice cut through Steven's thoughts. Peridot lobbed a bomb from her gem at the monster. She had been getting much better at summoning a weapon from her gem and Steven couldn't be happier. The bomb exploded, but this only served to enrage the monster more._

" _Um, guys. I think we just pissed it off," Amethyst groaned as the monster shook off her whips._

" _You think?" Pearl grunted as she lobbed another spear at it._

" _We need to poof her so that Steven can try and work with her," Garnet yelled. The monster tossed a boulder over the temple. "And we need to make sure that she doesn't go too close to the city."_

 _Connie had been tiring fast this battle, but she knew she needed to protect Steven. She turned to see him throw his shield at the monster. It whizzed past, only nicking one of the tentacles. The enraged monster turned and raised a tentacle, ready to strike Steven who was exhausted after having summoned his shield so many times this battle. He struggled in vain to shield himself, and finally braced for impact._

 _SHING!_

 _Steven looked up to see Connie guarding him, her sword pressing up against the hooked end of the monster's tentacle. She looked at Steven and smiled before charging at the monster._

" _Connie!" Garnet and Steven cried out._

 _Connie disappeared into the mass of tentacles as the creature folded them all in after her. An inhuman shriek caused all of the gems to freeze as they watched in the short silence that followed before the monster poofed. Connie stood, holding the gem, as the dust cleared._

" _Wow, Connie! I haven't someone take down a gem monster like that since Greg tried to help us decades ago! Good job!" Amethyst laughed as she held out her hand to catch the Larimar._

 _Connie weakly tossed it and looked over at Steven. He could see unease in her eyes and then noticed that something was very wrong._

" _Oh no ..." Garnet whispered._

 _Connie collapsed onto the sand. Steven ran to her and gently rolled her over. Blood stained the sand where she laid and he could now see that she was torn up, not only on her arms, but throughout her chest. Blood was flowing freely from her abdomen. If they didn't stop the bleeding now, then Connie would be dead soon._

" _No, no, no!" Steven cried out. "Connie, please ..."_

 _Connie looked up at him and smiled weakly._

" _I guess I misjudged that one, huh?" She croaked._

" _Pearl, I'm going to take these two to Rose's fountain. There is a chance we can make it there in time," Garnet said, a tear rolling down her left cheek. She would beat herself up later for not seeing this outcome more clearly. Connie never should have been allowed to fight._

 _But if she hadn't, then Steven ..._

 _Pearl nodded and motioned for Peridot and Amethyst to help start cleanup._

 _Steven gently held Connie close, pressing his hand to her wound as tightly as he could, as he and Garnet rushed into the house and onto the warp pad. As they warped to the fountain, he could hear Connie's soft voice babbling incoherently._

 _They landed near Rose's fountain, a thicket beginning to encroach again. Garnet grumbled as she looked out at the dry fountain. Of course, the rose bushes had to have grown into the plumbing again._

" _Steven, I will be right back. You stay here with Connie."_

 _Steven nodded and gently pressed his forehead against Connie's_

" _Please don't leave me, Connie. You're my best friend. I can't do this without you," he whispered._

 _Connie smiled weakly and tried to reach up to Steven before a small sob escaped her lips._

" _I can't feel anything. I … Steven?" She whispered._

 _Steven looked down at Connie. He had started understanding how he felt for her recently, but a part of him was afraid to admit it. When he had first went for advice, he made the mistake of asking too many people for input and came out just as confused as ever. Going to Lars had been the biggest mistake. He endured the half an hour of ridicule (how could he still be so immature?) and another half hour of Lars griping about Sadie and how dating wasn't worth it anyway. After thinking it over, Steven had thought he might wait until they were older. It only made sense._

 _But now …_

" _Oh Connie ..." he choked out._

 _She smiled sadly. "Thank you for … all the adventures … I ..."_

 _Steven gripped her tighter as she began to slip away._

" _No! Connie!"_

 _He wasn't sure what prompted it. Perhaps it was a last effort to keep her with him longer, if he showed her how he really felt. Perhaps it was a guiding push from his mother. He wasn't sure but he found himself with his lips locked to hers. One kiss before she could leave him._

 _He hadn't noticed yet that her breathing had resumed or that her color was returning to her face. He didn't notice that the wounds were stitching back together, healing rapidly. He did notice her hand suddenly gripping his arm. He pulled away and looked into her eyes. A little twinge of fear tugged at him. What if she was angry with him now? What if she didn't feel the same way?_

" _Steven … Your healing powers ..." Connie whispered._

 _Steven smiled and pulled Connie into a tight hug. He would talk to her about everything later, he resolved. There would be a better time, one not filled with adrenaline from battle. Right now, he was just happy he had his friend back._

 _Garnet watched from the now flowing fountain. She could feel Ruby comforting both her and Sapphire. A knowledge that things would work out. Even though Ruby was not the part of her that had Future Vision, she seemed to always know that things would work out in the end._

 _She met eyes with Steven and smiled. They would be alright._

Steven blinked as the pink glow began to fade. He had seen so many memories play out and felt so many emotions as he watched the recording of his mother. Every so often, it had felt like a memory was brought out, as if the recording of Rose had wanted to see the memory. A part of him wondered if this was just his life flashing before his eyes, like in some of the movies he had seen. He stared ahead at the projection of Rose. Her image still stood before him, a smile on her lips as she folded her hands in front of her.

"You are destined for greatness, Steven. You get to experience both worlds, both Gem and Human. I can't wait to see more of what you have become."

One more sad smile and her image flickered. Steven reached out to her as she faded away, leaving him alone with the cat who was curled up in his lap.

"So, do I just heal myself then? I'm still not sure what to do, mom," Steven sighed.

"Think of this place like it was your mother's room," a voice said from Steven's lap. Steven looked down, wide eyed, at the cat who stretched and yawned.

"What?"

"This whole area is a construct but it is still much like your mother's room … or the inner world of a gem. Only you and I can get in here. Haven't you ever found that odd? Not even Pearl could get in here, and she was your mother's closest confidante," the cat grinned.

Steven sighed in exasperation before chuckling. "Of course," he chuckled, "I should have known. Why don't you tell me you know these things you know?"

The cat purred and rolled onto his back, "You never asked. Besides, it's not like I can speak this language when I'm not in here. I may be imbued with gem magic, but that doesn't mean that I can still speak in my physical form. At least not in your language."

Steven absentmindedly stroked the cat's fur as he pondered this to himself. It was a lot to take in, but it definitely made more sense, especially now that he had more of an understanding of his mother and what she was saying.

"So, are you going to teach me the rest about regeneration then?" Steven asked.

The cat bounced up and perched on Steven's shoulder.

"Your physical form is already somewhat healing itself. Since you are only half gem, it will take a little longer than it would take your mother to regenerate. Granted, we are a little pressed for time, so we can't have you in here for Pearl lengths. No need to completely obsess over details. Unless you want to for … someone," the cat chuckled. "You humans are so funny."

Steven blushed and began to stand up again. He noticed he wasn't struggling as badly as he had before, but there was still pain in his chest and upper abdomen when he tried to stretch up. The cat leaped onto the treasure chest and licked his paw.

"You will definitely need more repair there before you can go out. I don't think it will scar. Unless you want it to. Really, you just need to try and control your shape-shifting to do that. I heard about the Cat Fingers incident and I remember your rapid aging problem. You just need to have more control and you will be regenerated in no time."

Steven nodded and braced himself on the treasure chest. A sense of childhood curiosity was gnawing at him and he looked at the cat again.

"What's in here?"

"Oh, some gem artifacts, some little trinkets, thegemthatiskeepingmealive,"

"Wait, what?" Steven asked.

The cat sighed, "See, this is why I think it would have been better for your mother to explain this in her recording. Yes, she may have experimented on me, but I'm better for it! If she hadn't have injected that material in me, then I would be dead and you would be without your, what did you call me again, Cotton Candy of the Jungle."

"You were a gem experiment?" Steven asked, slightly horrified.

"Kind of. See, I used to be Greg's cat. Well, Greg and Rose's. They found me in a storm drain and took care of me for several years. I had free reign and so I got out a lot. I remember one time, I couldn't find my way back at all. I remember crossing the road and suddenly darkness. I know that Rose found me and that for some reason her tears weren't working. This was after she had decided to have you, by the way. I remember her taking me somewhere, I think it was where you found me, actually ..."

The cat's eyes glowed white and projected an image for Steven.

Rose was standing over the cat's body, eyes puffy and red from crying. Her gem glowed pink and she pulled out an object. Steven gasped as he saw the injector with a bright, glowing substance inside of it.

"I really hope this works, little guy. I'm so sorry," Rose whispered before plunging the injector into the cat's head.

The cat yowled and cried as his body began to fight with the foreign substance that was transforming him. His eyes flung open as he looked at Rose. A bright glow enveloped the cat as he grew and transformed. Soon, four large, pink paws touched the ground and where the cat once lay stood a giant, pink lion. He shook his mane and then looked at Rose before rubbing his head on her shoulder.

"That form suits you well," she smiled, tearfully. "I'm going to give you some things that I will need you to keep safe for my son. He'll find you and I will need you to guide him. Greg and the Gems can only help him so much. You need to also be there for him. Can you do that for me?"

Lion yowled and nodded.

"Good. Now, I gave you some of my power so that Steven is not overwhelmed. His tiny human body would not be able to handle this. When the time is right, you may need to give it all up. I don't know what will happen to you if you do … This hasn't ever been done successfully before."

Lion grumbled and sat down as Rose walked to the warp pad she had arrived from.

"I will start bringing things for you to hold for him. I will see you again soon," She smiled before warping away, leaving the lion behind.

Soon, Rose reappeared, holding the bubbled hoppered crystal.

"I had tried to see if I could just create a new gem for him. It didn't work, but this remnant can be a guide for him if he ever needs it. I'll need you to help him with the rest, my Lion."

Soon, she had disappeared into the Lion's mane. After several trips and months, a T-Shirt, her sword, a treasure chest (which the Lion's gem was soon contained in), and many other important artifacts were placed in the mane. Finally, a very pregnant Rose warped to Lion and approached him.

"This is a video for Steven," she whispered. "If he ever asks about me or wants to know me, please show him this."

Lion nodded and accepted the final item. Rose hugged him tight.

"Take care of him for me."

"Rowr ..."

The cat's eyes stopped glowing and Steven turned to look at him.

"You're going to give all of that power to me? But, what will happen to you?"

"It's not important, Steven. And it's only when you are ready for it. I don't think that time is coming up any time soon," the cat chuckled. "You still have so much to learn. And this has never been done before, so for all I know, I could still be your faithful animal companion. I just might be a little smaller and less pink."

Steven wasn't sure how he felt about this new knowledge. He was concerned, for so many reasons. Why the desert? Why the injector? Why wouldn't his mother's tears work? The thought of the hoppered crystal both horrified and saddened him. _If it had worked ..._

"Now, come on. I need to get you regenerating so that you can go and take down a Diamond. They're gone for now, but they will be back. Also, Connie needs you."

Steven watched as his cat – no – his Lion, described everything he could about regeneration and what Steven needed to know. He worried in the back of his mind about Connie. Lion said she needed him, but why? How bad was it out there?


	4. Ageless and Hopeless

**A/N: Thank you again for the follows and faves! I'm going to try and pick up the mood soon! Chapter after this may be more Pearlidotethyst-y. This one was a harder one to write, not because of subject matter, but because my original draft and outline for this story got corrupted and so I had to remember where I was going. xD Feel free to review by the way! No flames, but if there's something that can be improved, I'm open to it!**

 **-Four Faces**

Greg always knew that this was a possibility. When Rose talked of Steven having her gem, he knew that he would one day try to take up her mantle. When he overheard Garnet giving Rose visions of the future, he knew that this could happen. When Steven went after Lapis for the Ocean, when he was taken away by Jasper and Peridot, when he found out about why the gems needed the barn, he knew that one day, he might lose his son.

It didn't make it any less horrible when he drove down to the temple to see all of the destruction. When he saw Pearl and Amethyst on the beach, collecting shards of fallen gems, he could feel his heart sink. Steven and Connie were no where to be found.

He parked and walked over to the two gems. Amethyst ran to him and embraced him. Pearl made her way to him a little slower.

"How did it happen?" Greg asked.

Pearl recounted the battle to Greg, highlighting Steven's bravery and how well he worked with Connie. She choked up when she got to the part Greg needed to hear the most. Amethyst held Pearl's hand through it. She would need a shoulder to cry on later, she knew.

"He's in Lion's mane right now. I think Lion wanted him in there for some reason," Amethyst finished when Pearl couldn't speak any longer. "Lion knows what he's doing, I think."

Greg nodded, taking everything in.

"How's Connie doing?" He asked. "I'm sure her parents are going to worry about her with everything that has been on the news. They even evacuated Charm City, just in case."

"She's been pretty comatose lately," Pearl started. "Peridot went in to check on her -"

"She's finally awake," Peridot chimed in from behind Pearl. "I offered her what was in the fridge, but I don't think she took me up on the offer. At least she spoke to me this time," Peridot whispered, dejectedly.

Greg wanted to comfort the small, green gem. She had latched onto Connie almost immediately after seeing how much Steven trusted her and cared about her. Connie fascinated her and soon Peridot was tagging along with anything that Steven and Connie did. She first fused with Amethyst on an outing with Connie and Steven (and learned that she did indeed have feelings for the purple gem), and so Connie was soon responsible (in Peridot's mind) for one of her most positive earth experiences.

Greg could tell that Peridot felt helpless. He did as well. Yes, Steven could be alive, but just the thought of his son being injured so seriously was enough to nearly send the man into a panic.

"So, what are you doing with all of these gems?" Greg finally asked.

"We're mostly just going to keep them bubbled until Steven returns," Pearl explained. "We'll see if he is able to heal them or not. If they can't be healed, then we'll have to properly dispose of them so that they don't regenerate into a fate worse -"

"Weapons!" A gasping Connie shrieked as she ran up the beach to join the gems.

"Connie! You're up!" Amethyst called out.

"Humans … we need to learn how to use gem weapons," the girl huffed as she caught her breath. "If Jasper is really coming back, then we don't stand a chance unless we can defend Earth against Homeworld. Lapis had said that Homeworld was so much more advanced than we are."

Peridot soon knew where this was going. A thrill went through her. She knew what Connie was going to ask of her, and she wanted to impress her.

"Peridot? You and Pearl built that drill out of scraps in a barn. You could create weapons that could at least level the playing field a little, right?" Connie asked hopefully.

Pearl knew what this would entail, but she wasn't about to discuss this in front of Connie. She looked at her two companions, Amethyst immediately understanding.

"Sure thing, Connie, but let's get you something to eat first. You humans can't go very long without food and I, myself, am starving," Amethyst said, grabbing Connie's hand and taking her back to the beach house. As she led the shaky young woman back, Amethyst turned back to look at Pearl and Peridot. Garnet was not going to like this, even if it was the only way to save humanity.

 _I should have paid more attention to that last vision._

 _Don't beat yourself up, Sapphy. It wasn't your fault. It was Jasper's and the minute she comes back, we will grind her into dust._

 _It won't be that simple, Ruby. I'm really afraid for the future. Nothing looks promising._

Garnet was having trouble staying together, just from the sheer stress. She had already unfused three times in the week, either from the heartbreak that Ruby and Sapphire felt over Steven or from the stress of finding so many of their comrades shattered beyond repair. There was a chance that Steven would be able to heal them, but it was all dependent on if Steven could regenerate.

Her vision was incredibly foggy there.

They made their way towards the ocean. Seven moonstones and a tourmaline had just been sent back to the Temple. A glint of blue caught Garnet's eyes. She knelt down and looked at the scattered remains.

"Lapis ..." she whispered.

Even though she was shattered, her gem was in better quality than most of the gems Garnet had come across. She gently picked up each piece and formed them into the familiar tear drop shape of Lapis.

 _We never wanted this to happen,_ Ruby thought.

 _I know. It was unavoidable. Every possible outcome led to this,_ Sapphire thought.

Garnet felt herself shudder. She had to hold together. She had to do it for the remaining Crystal Gems. She enveloped the gem shards in a bubble and held it for a moment. She wanted to know if Steven could heal Lapis, but there was so much confusion in her vision. So many possibilities.

One possibility troubled her and she nearly dropped the bubble out of seeing it. The image from the First War of the human warrior who had grieved himself to death replayed itself, but this time with Connie. Seeing Steven's friend and their closest ally so thin and weak. Seeing her grab a weapon from the armory. Seeing her aim the gem weapon at her head.

Garnet shook her head and then sent the bubble to the Temple. It was a small chance, but it could happen. She needed to make sure it didn't.

Something else tugged at her mind. Something was not right. She had not seen Pearl or Amethyst all morning. There was a chance that something terrible was going to happen.

What scared her most was that it was inevitable.

"So, Greg just walked back to the van," Amethyst called down to Connie who was in the kitchen, absentmindedly stirring tea. "Think he's going to go help rebuild the town?"

"Maybe," Connie said, flatly. "It's probably a good idea. He needs the distraction."

Amethyst nodded and turned her attention back to the TV.

"Ugh. Nothing is on except the news. Every channel is covering this. No wonder you've been so upset if this is all you're watching."

Connie sighed and looked up at Rose's picture over the doorway. She quirked a smile and returned to her tea. _I'll do it for you,_ she thought, remembering the oath she gave as a child.

"I mean, really, how can you recover from battle if they keep playing the footage from the first moments of it over and over," Amethyst called down.

"Just wanted to know if the world was still turning out there," Connie murmured. "It is."

Amethyst sighed and leaned back against Steven's pillow. She watched as they showed the same images over and over as the news anchors speculated on what happened in Beach City. It was morbid, humanity's fascination with explosions and destruction. It was also a little thrilling (and this kind of bothered Amethyst).

The newsfeed cut to what looked like the currently destroyed Beach City Boardwalk. Amethyst watched as the reporter spoke about talking with a representative from Beach City in a few moments.

"Heh. Wanna bet it's Mayor Dewey talking about how everything is fine in Beach City and that there is nothing to worry about?" Amethyst called to Connie.

Connie chuckled and leaned against the refrigerator.

"Uh … Connie?"

"Yeah?"

"They're interviewing Greg," Amethyst said with uncertainty.

Connie was up on Steven's bed in seconds.

Greg had heard enough to know that Garnet was going to be very unhappy when she reunited with Peridot and Pearl later. He was not going to be around for that. He drove back into town, surveying the damage.

"Greg!" He heard a familiar voice call from outside the van. He looked in the mirror to see Vidalia running to catch up with the slow moving van. Greg stopped and opened the door for her.

"Vidalia! What's wrong?"

"I haven't seen Onion since returning!" She panted. "I know he was helping Steven, but I haven't seen him!"

Greg motioned for her to get in and the two drove through the destroyed town, keeping their eyes open for any movement. As they drove past the Arcade, they noticed Jenny and Buck pulling someone out of the rubble. Vidalia unbuckled her seat belt and bolted from the van the moment that Greg stopped.

"Onion!" She cried out.

Buck turned and waved. "Hey Vidalia. Don't worry, Everyone's OK. We heard a car coming and decided to try and come out of hiding."

Onion burst out from the rubble and hugged his mom.

"Mom!"

"Oh Onion! Thank goodness you're alright!" Vidalia cried as she hugged the teen.

"Youwouldn'tbelievehowcoolthebattlewas! ImadeagempoofandIhaveitinmypocketanditwassocool! Ican'twaittoshowSteven!" Onion babbled as the four made their way to Greg's van.

The whole ride into the center of town was filled with Onion rapidly recounting their side of the battle, complete with sound effects. Greg didn't have the heart to tell him about Steven yet. What would the teen think if he found out that the young man he idolized might be dead?

As they neared the center of the city, Greg noticed the news vans and the reporters trying to inundate Mayor Dewey with requests for an interview. Greg got out of the car and approached.

"Oh thank goodness you're here," Mayor Dewey gasped as he ran to Greg. "I have no idea what to tell these people. I don't know what happened here or anything. Can you please talk to them?"

Greg looked at the reporters. Of course it would fall to him. He would have to make a decision on what the reporters were going to hear. He knew that Mayor Dewey wanted him to tell the reporters that everything would be fine, so as not to hurt the tourism rating more than it had already been hurt.

He also knew that it was ridiculous to claim that everything was OK. He knew that humanity needed to protect itself and that could only happen if everyone knew what was going on.

It was time for Greg to tell the truth.

"Excellent! The worst wound is almost healed! You're doing marvelously!"

Steven sat, lotus style, under the tree as he focused on himself. He needed to heal and he needed to remember his body as it was before. Healthy and whole.

"Maybe, while we're at it, I can show you the finer points of regeneration," Lion grinned as he curled up on Steven's shoulder. "After all, you could stand to change things up a little. For one, someone of your heritage should have a much more luxurious mane."

Steven quirked a smile before returning to his focus.

"Or not. It's whatever you want."

"I'm not sure what I want other than to be out," Steven muttered. "I'm still hurting a lot and I'm kind of worried, honestly. I'm worried that this won't work."

Lion laughed. "Nonsense! You're doing great!"

Steven sighed and opened his eyes, looking at his companion.

"I'm just so tired from all of this healing and I don't know if I'm doing it right. I know I'm supposed to have this magical destiny, but … I don't know ..."

"Hey. It's okay," Lion said, placing a paw on Steven's cheek. "Honestly, most of what I know is instinct from the gem that your mother essentially fused me with. I wouldn't know how to help you otherwise."

Steven nodded and closed his eyes again.

"Why don't you rest a little, bud," Lion smiled, leaping off of Steven's shoulder. "You are half human after all. You can't be up for a week straight and not feel a little weird."

Steven nodded and started to nod off to sleep. His last waking thought was _Wait? A week!?_

 _His birthday was wonderful. He was so excited to be turning 13 and he couldn't wait until Connie came over._

 _Garnet unfusing had become a bit of tradition since Steven's 11_ _th_ _birthday and he always enjoyed spending time with both parts of Garnet under non-stressful circumstances. Steven especially loved the fuss they made over him and was thrilled when Amethyst suggested kazoo racers (something that Peridot still did not understand)._

 _The party with the Gems had been winding down and Connie was greeted by an exuberant Steven (and even more exuberant Peridot) when she arrived. Amethyst looked up momentarily from the pinata that she had been eating to wish the three well as Connie led Steven and Peridot out to the beach for an impromptu dance party._

 _Steven loved watching Connie dance. She had grown more graceful over the years and he had started to truly notice how beautiful he thought she was. The two had gotten better at not fusing every time they danced (which Peridot was slightly sad about as she found the fusion of the two absolutely fascinating). As the two danced on the beach, Steven was pulled into thoughts about the future. Thoughts of what could happen after everything with Yellow Diamond was behind them. School dances, movie nights … Maybe even -_

 _Steven was shaken out of his thoughts by Connie's joyful laughter as the two twirled under the sun as it lowered in the sky. They began to walk back to the beach house, Peridot in tow, but stopped when they heard the gems inside still talking._

" _Do you think it worked, Sapphire?" Amethyst said from inside._

" _I see many futures where it does and a few that are … complicated."_

" _Well, whatever. As long as Steven doesn't age, then I'm happy eating pinatas and riding in kazoo racers. That party he threw for us years ago still weirds me out. I never want to see him get that old again!"_

" _Amethyst, I don't think we can do this forever," Pearl's voice chastised. "We can only slow it down. He is still human … but maybe if we do this, we'll still have a few centuries with him?"_

 _Steven felt Connie's hand on his back as he stared ahead at the screen door. They were purposefully keeping him younger? Of course. It made sense now. The time when he had gone to school with Connie and was questioned about his actual age several times. The fact that he still hadn't grown any taller even though Connie was already over 5 feet tall. The fact he never felt any older. It all added up._

 _Steven turned to look at Connie who gasped in shock. He then turned and looked at the confused Peridot and saw his reflection in her visor. His face had shape shifted, leaving the rest of his body the same. His jaw line was chiseled, there was stubble on his face, and his hair was shorter and in tighter curls._

 _Steven fell back and screamed at his reflection, alerting the gems inside to his presence. Pearl was the first to the door and only let out a muffled "Oh Steven," before Steven took off down the steps and onto the beach._

 _He ran until he was too tired and fell onto the beach. He could feel his whole body aching in the same way it did the last time he rapidly changed ages. He curled in on himself and struggled between anger and sadness._

 _They knew he could age and they weren't going to let him._

 _They purposefully kept him from feeling any older._

 _He was going to see everyone else that he loved die. Greg. The people of Beach City._

 _Connie._

 _He fell onto his stomach and slammed a fist into the sand before curling up again. Maybe, if he got upset enough, he would wither into dust and not have to experience losing anyone._

 _Connie watched as her friend ran away, her heart breaking for both of them. Now she knew that one of her fears was true. Her friend was immortal and they would never grow old together. She would only be holding him back. The girls at her school had taunted her about this before, when they had met Steven and he summoned his shield as a response to the school bullies. Now that they knew he was a gem, that meant that Connie was ordinary and not deserving of Steven. She didn't want to believe it until now._

 _A gentle hand rested on her shoulder. Connie looked up to see the now re-fused Garnet looking at her, sadly._

" _What do I do?" Connie whispered. "He's so upset and it's not fair to him to make him want to give up being immortal for me. It's not fair to any of you."_

" _No, Connie. It was not fair of us to not allow Steven to age. Rose gave up her form so that he could enjoy the human experience. We always knew we would not have Steven forever, but when he tried to teach us about the human ritual of Birthday Parties, we accidentally triggered a terrifying shape shifting event. It scared us and we resolved to never allow that to happen again. We don't age and so we were scared by it. I saw a future where this might be a problem and I did nothing to stop it," Garnet explained before wiping a tear from her left eye. "I'm so sorry."_

" _Garnet? How much pain will it cause him when I die? Is it worth it for me to … to love him?"_

 _Garnet thought for a moment. Connie waited for a response but finally turned to watch the tide come in. Soon, she was pulled into a tight hug by the taller Gem._

" _It is worth it for both of you. I see so many different paths that the future could take. You could grow old together and he could age and die naturally. You could be lost in a battle or we could lose Steven. You might even …"_

 _Garnet paused and looked ahead. Connie quirked an eyebrow._

" _Hmm. That is a possibility. That is a very good possibility. Connie?"_

" _Yes, Garnet?"_

" _Stay by his side. You both will need each other more than you know. And maybe work on your fusion practice a little more," Garnet smiled. "Now, I think Steven might need your help."_

 _Connie nodded and ran down the beach in the direction that Steven had run. She resolved to stay with him, regardless of what the future might hold. Even if he never returned her feelings, he was still her first and best friend. She would be there for him for as long as she could._

 _She saw him curled over himself, his body still shaking with sobs. She gently placed a hand on his back and helped him up. He had grown a little taller now and his face was a little thinner. He was still his stocky self, but he finally started to look his age._

 _Connie smiled and stroked his cheek._

" _Hey you," She said. "You don't look like you did two years ago anymore."_

 _Steven looked up at her. Her radiant smile as she looked at him melted his heart. A tear rolled down her cheek._

" _I know I'm only dreaming, but I can tell you this now …"_

 _Wait … dreaming? This was not how the memory went. And now that he was thinking about it, Steven realized he had seen something he had never been privvy to before. He had no idea Connie told something to Garnet._

 _He had only remembered Garnet having a very vague answer when he asked if he would lose Connie one day._

 _He realized that Connie's face seemed older now. More like when he last saw her. She looked sad and weary, as if she hadn't slept in days._

" _Connie?"_

 _Connie pressed her forehead against Steven's and then looked in his eyes._

" _Are you really dreaming, Connie?" Steven asked. "Because this isn't how I remember things happening."_

 _Connie looked at him. A look of confusion, realization, and then she was gone._

Steven jerked awake and looked at Lion.

"Welcome back, kiddo," he chuckled.

"Lion! I think I was in Connie's dream! I mean, it started out like a memory of my 13th birthday, but it got weird because I suddenly was seeing what Connie saw and then I was actually there with Connie and she was talking to me and -"

"Woah! Calm down, Steven. Yes, you might have gone into her dream, like when you were communicating with Lapis. That's just a thing your mother used to be able to do. Granted, she had more control over it, but it's something you should be able to do."

"So … maybe I can tell her I'm OK? She looked really upset in the dream. She was tired and I don't know how long she can be like this. And what if the Gems are dealing with this just as badly? I need to tell them - "

"You can definitely try it," Lion smiled. "Rest some more. Maybe you'll see her again."

Steven nodded and then closed his eyes. He laid back against the treasure chest, willing himself to sleep so he could talk to Connie again.

On the outside, a now awake Connie wept into Lion's mane.


	5. Walking Through Dreams

Thanks again for the faves, follows, and review! This chapter took way too long and I'm still not 100% happy with it. I almost sped something along too fast and went "Oh no. You don't get to have your glimmer of hope this fast! I subscribe to the 'Don Bluth philosphy of storytelling of you can 'handle just about anything as long as you attach a happy ending' to quote Nostalgia Critic so you're not getting off that easy!"

This chapter has a little more pearlidotethyst in it as well as some Ruby/Sapphire interaction, some creepy dream walking, and an appearance from one of my new favorite cartoon moms!

Feel free to review!

-FourFaces

Connie had been sleeping when Peridot and Pearl returned from the beach that night. Amethyst joined the two at the base of the stairs, after having made sure Connie was really sleeping.

"So, are we doing it?" Amethyst asked.

"I still think we should talk to Garnet about it, but Connie is right. Humans don't stand a chance against Homeworld without gem weapons and the best way to power them ..." Pearl trailed off. Peridot gently grabbed her hand.

"I'm sorry, Pearl. If I knew of an easier way -"

"No. This is the only way with what materials we have on Earth. Plus, I'm certain that the former Crystal Gems who perished would rather still be used to fight for Earth than sit in a room, bubbled away for an eternity," Pearl sniffled. "If Steven ..."

The two smaller gems held onto Pearl and walked her towards the Temple door. It would be best to go into her room. They didn't know when Garnet would be back and it would be best to not discuss this in front of her.

As the door closed behind them, they made their way to the tallest water column in Pearl's room and then gently helped her to a sitting position. Pearl's body shook with sobs and both gems alternated between caressing her hair and rubbing circles on her back.

This was the first time in the week where they had been able to do this for Pearl together. Amethyst hugged her tightly while Peridot placed gently kisses on her cheek. They had all grown into a comfortable relationship over the years, especially after adding Peridot into the mix, and they found comfort in just being near each other. Opal, Flourite, and Aventurine were three very strong fusions now and when the three Gems were fully in sync, Lepidachrosite was almost as stable as Garnet. At times like this, Peridot and Amethyst both wondered if it would be easier to form her with Pearl so they could shoulder the pain with her.

It was over an hour before Pearl had the composure to speak. She bit her lip and then looked between her two companions. A decision had to be made. They had accidentally shattered a bubbled gem at one point when they were trying to harvest a gem for the drill to stop the cluster and Steven, as usual, was crying that they needed to take the gem to Rose's fountain.

That was when they learned that the fountain did not work on the corrupted gems. Steven had nightmares for weeks after that.

There wasn't even a guarantee that Steven would be able to heal any of the gems.

"If Steven does not return in a week, we'll have to start creating the weapons. I don't know how long the posturing between the Diamonds will last before Jas- Yellow Diamond returns … And if they determine we are enough of a threat, then it might not just be her armada," Pearl decided. "The nearest outpost isn't that far from here, if I remember right, so they could be here much sooner. Within the year."

Peridot snaked an arm behind Pearl, so she was touching both her and Amethyst who was busy staring at Pearl's clenched hand.

"We won't add any gems until we know for sure that we have lost Steven. He will still be our hope that we won't have to turn to this," Amethyst reassured Pearl.

"If he does come back and cannot heal our shattered comrades, then it might be more merciful to do this. Again, at least they'll have a purpose again," Peridot whispered.

"Like Lapis in the mirror," Pearl whispered.

The three gems held each other into the night, Pearl drifting off to sleep first, relaxing in the comfort of the smaller gems' arms.

Connie had finally calmed down enough to get her bearings in Steven's bed. She was tempted to leave the Temple and walk on the beach, maybe taking Lion with her. She looked at the sleeping cat and finally wondered if he had moved from this spot at all in a week. She leaned over to Steven's nightstand and turned on the lamp and finally noticed a very big difference in her slumbering companion.

His pink fur was broken up by ginger colored stripes. He also seemed a little smaller, his mane less luxurious.

Connie knew Lion was magic, possibly even a gem, but this sort of shape shifting had been so subtle and strange. She shook the beast a little and received no response.

"Lion?" She whispered.

The door to the beach house opened and Garnet walked in, looking like she was about to shatter. She looked up at Connie and attempted a smile.

"It's good to see you awake, Connie," the fusion said.

"Garnet? What do you know about Lion?" Connie asked.

"Rose did not tell any of us about the creature's existence, and we only met him after Steven befriended him. I've entertained many possibilities on his origins, but they all just seem too strange, even for Rose," Garnet stated. "Why?"

"You need to come up here."

Garnet was next to Connie in a flash and examined the giant, sleeping cat.

"This is strange. There's a possibility that whatever is happening in his mane is changing Lion's physical form, if he is indeed a gem."

"So … Steven could really be alive in there, then?"

Garnet smiled weakly.

"It is one of many possibilities. It's a slightly larger one than I previously thought."

Connie hugged Garnet tightly and then looked back at Lion. His ear twitched and the stripes in his fur became bolder.

Connie hoped that Garnet was right. She also wondered why Lion's physical form would be changing so much if something was happening to Steven in his mane.

 _Pain. Screaming agony._

 _Millions of voices, all of them swirling together, blaming themselves, blaming Homeworld._

 _Blaming Rose._

 _This was not Connie's dream._

 _Steven struggled to find someone, anyone who he might recognize._

 _A fragmented cry of betrayal pierced his mind, pushed out by another cry of terror, wondering if what she did was all for naught._

 _Soon, he saw a tall, thin figure, sitting hunched over herself. Her shoulders shook as she wept. He instantly knew who was there._

" _Pearl?" Steven whispered._

 _Pearl whipped around and looked at him in shock._

" _Steven?"_

 _Steven ran to Pearl and embraced her. She wept into his hair and held him tightly._

" _Oh Steven, I'm so glad you're back with us," She soon had a moment of realization and wept again. "No … I'm asleep. I'm only dreaming. I failed you. I failed Rose ..."_

" _No, you didn't fail anyone, Pearl," Steven whispered. "I was proud to fight by your side. And I'm OK! Lion has me and I'm regenerating and I'll be fine! I was trying to find someone to tell that to. Now that I've found you, maybe I can rest a while and focus on myself. I was in Connie's dreams a while ago - "_

" _Wait. You're dream-walking again? Like with Lapis? Oh, this is wonderful! I … I am so proud Steven!" Pearl exclaimed as she held onto Steven. "I will need to tell Connie so that maybe she can go back to being herself and - "_

" _How is she doing? I only saw a glimpse of her when I went into her dreams by accident. She … she didn't look OK."_

" _She's finally been sleeping. It took three days before she even moved from her first position on the bed and then another four days before she even slept or ate. Her parents might come and try to take her home, now that the evacuation was lifted. They even evacuated Charm City. Her parents are probably a wreck. I mean, I know that she is an adult now … you both are, but parents, we … they tend to worry. Just because Connie may as well have moved in with us doesn't mean that they aren't going to be concerned about their daughter."_

 _Steven nodded and then looked out at the dream-scape._

" _When I was trying to find someone, anyone to reassure, I found myself in the middle of so many painful memories. Some asking me for help and others asking for my blood. Is everyone else shattered?Are just the Crystal Gems and Connie left?" Steven asked._

 _Pearl nodded sadly._

" _So, those agonizing screams were from all of them … What about Lapis? And C-?"_

" _Steven, if you survive this, can you try something for me?"_

 _Steven nodded._

" _Can you try to heal them? And if you can't, just know that it is not a failure on your part at all … and they will still be saving the earth, somehow."_

 _Steven was confused, but soon he felt a strong pull away from Pearl. He looked back at Pearl and waved goodbye as he was pulled away by a warm feeling. A feeling that he often wondered during this regeneration if he would feel again._

 _The warm feeling was stopped by an erratic, pained feeling. He turned to see a fractured dream-scape, steaming and boiling with emotions. He had often wondered if Garnet dreamed and what she dreamed about, but now he knew._

" _We have to stay together, for them. They can't see us un-fused. If we split apart, then everything will fail."_

" _I just see so much horror in the future and there will be nothing we can do to stop it."_

" _It's almost as bad as those cluster experiments."_

" _What else are we seeing?"_

 _Steven could soon see, displayed in front of him as if on a theater screen, every possibility that Garnet could see. Steven returning from Lion's mane. Rose returning for some reason and Pearl completely cracking from heartbreak. Nothing happening and Lion forever sleeping, wasting away into dust. Connie unable to live. Connie becoming overzealous trying to protect the earth and avenge Steven, losing her life to the Diamond Authority. Connie and Steven fighting side by side once more. Amethyst being corrupted. Peridot being corrupted. Ruby being shattered and Garnet ceasing to exist. Sapphire losing her mind. Greg, seeing the carnage of a final conflict with all three Diamond forces, running headlong into the laser blast of a war ship to protect one of the Gems. The Gems pushing back the Diamonds with little to no casualties, humans assisting them with terrifying weapons at their disposal. The Diamond Authority taking earth, imprisoning and experimenting on Connie and Steven … shattering the rest of the Gems, Ruby and Sapphire split apart and unable to be there for each other in death._

 _Garnet held her hands to her head and cried out. Steven watched in horror, seeing, for the first time since he was a child, how horrible Future Vision could be._

 _Before he could say anything, the warm pull grabbed him again and he was whisked away to one of the wetlands near Beach City._

 _He looked ahead and saw Connie, sitting on a dock with a book in her hands. Her eyes were squeezed shut as she muttered something under her breath. Steven watched as the world changed around him to the familiar beach outside of his house. The sun was hanging low in the sky and the eastern horizon was beginning to show the first twinkling of stars._

 _He started to walk towards Connie until a piercing shriek pulled him away from her._

" _No! I needed to talk with her!" Steven cried out. He was certain he saw her turn to look at him._

 _He was dragged into a landscape of broken glass. He looked around, wondering whose dream he was in._

 _Another shriek forced Steven to cover his ears. He looked around, searching for the source of the shrieking. He felt something cold wrap around his ankle and looked down._

 _A thin, blue hand clawed its way around his ankle, trying to feel for something or someone. It glitched and poofed into a shard before trying to reform itself again._

 _Steven turned around and saw several blue shards among the broken glass, all of them trying to reform and failing. He walked past the shards until he saw the source of the screaming again. A familiar half of a face, frozen in fear and broken like a china doll._

 _Lapis._

"Ahh!" Steven cried out as he woke up again. Lion leaped from his perch on the treasure chest and landed near Steven's leg.

"What happened? Did you find anyone?"

"Yeah ..." Steven said, shakily. "There were all of these voices at first. Some were angry and some were just sad. Then, I found Pearl and she was so upset until she saw me. I told her I was dream-walking and she asked me to heal everyone. Then I found Garnet and I almost got to Connie but I was pulled away by ..." Steven paled. "She looked horrible, Lion. More frightening than when she was released from the mirror. At least then, she was whole. She's in pieces and in so much pain."

Lion rubbed up against Steven, comfortingly, before crawling onto his lap.

"It's alright Steven. You will be able to try to help them once you regenerate. We need to work on your form so that you will be able to leave. Let's check your wounds," Lion said as he pawed at Steven's shirt.

Steven lifted his shirt and Lion tilted his head, looking at the wound that had almost stitched itself together.

"You're almost healed. Have you thought about what you want to look like when you are out?"

Steven shook his head. Lion smiled.

"It's alright. I just know that you used to be so disappointed when one of the gems barely changed after regenerating. Of course, you don't want to change too much." Lion chuckled.

Steven nodded and then curled in on himself.

"I'm afraid to sleep again, Lion," he whispered. "What if I end up in Lapis' dream or whatever that was again? It was so terrifying and painful. I wanted to let Connie and the gems know I was OK but … I don't think I can do it this way."

Lion smiled sadly.

"It's alright, Steven. I understand."

Steven didn't respond. Lion trilled before batting Steven with his paw.

"Hey, did I ever tell you about when your father went into battle alongside Rose against some corrupted gems? It's quite a great story. He did pretty well, for a human. It was just the two of them against …"

Connie dodged a swing from a holopearl before slicing her sword at its legs. A look of bold determination was in her eyes as she sparred against her opponent. She glanced to the side and took out the second holopearl that was flanking her.

"Has she been doing this for the past week and a half?" Priyanka asked as she watched her daughter from the crumbling seats of the arena. The drive to Beach City had been a long one, dealing with traffic coming back in and disaster junkies who had flooded to the beach to try and find a piece of evidence of the battle. Peridot and Amethyst had done a good job making sure no one approached the areas that were still littered with gem shards.

"No. This is the most she has done since … She said she really needed to practice, in case Yellow Diamond returned," Pearl explained, "She actually banged on my door until I came out, demanding that she go to the Sky Arena to spar. I'm surprised that she wanted to, in all honesty. She was not doing well last week, but our communication line was down. Not that any calls would have reached you. I don't know where Steven's portable communication device went. It may have been damaged in the battle. Greg will have to replace it most likely if – when Steven returns."

Priyanka had seen this denial in families before when she was in the ICU. She gently placed a hand on Pearl's shoulder and turned her attention back to her daughter.

Garnet watched from the top of the Arena, not having moved since escorting Priyanka there. She knew what the others were planning, or at least she thought she knew. A part of her (most likely Ruby) wanted to just hide all of the bubbled gems or lock everyone out of the bubble room until Steven returned (it had to be almost certain now. It was more than the previous 5% probability and that was all that Ruby cared about). Another part of her (definitely Sapphire) knew that the only way that humanity could survive another attack was if they had access to Gem weapons. The only way to efficiently power them, especially on this planet, would be from harvesting the shards.

If all of the Diamonds were going to send their forces (right now a 30% probability as she was pretty certain that Jasper had only recently regenerated, if at all), then they would need all of the strength they could get. And it was a 50% probability that Steven would not be able to heal the broken gems (if Steven returned which was a 60% probability now that she had seen Lion start to change. She had often wondered about the identity of this strange pet of Steven's but a memory of a vision when she had seen Greg so distraught about his missing cat was starting to resurface and it interested her greatly).

She watched as Priyanka gripped Pearl's shoulder occasionally when Connie would have a close call. Connie would be alright in this sparring match. She had rage, skill, and a purpose. Garnet knew this, not only with her Future Vision, but with her trust in Connie. She watched as Connie took down the last holopearl. Connie stood, chest heaving, as she turned around to see her audience.

"Oh Connie …" Priyanka started.

"That was excellent, Connie!" Pearl exclaimed, trying to sound chipper and failing. Connie could sense the tone in her voice and walked over to them. Garnet headed down to join the group.

"Connie … I wish I had known what had happened. If I had been here -" Priyanka began.

"No, mom. This wouldn't have been safe for you. It was barely safe enough for the gems. We lost almost everyone. We're all that's left," Connie said, a fire in her eyes. "Humanity is still being threatened and we have to make sure we can fight back. We have to be able to protect ourselves."

It was terrifying for Priyanka to see her daughter like this. She almost wanted her quiet, unassuming child back, but she remembered how unhappy she had been before the day she had come home babbling about the "strange boy she met on the beach". She had been so happy after that. It was obvious that Connie needed to be around him. She couldn't deny that.

"Connie … Did you want to come home at all? Maybe spend a few days away from everything?"

Connie froze. She looked between her mother and the two gems before a tear ran down her cheek. She hastily wiped it away.

"No. No! What if Steven comes back and I'm not there? He'll wonder where I am and he could be disoriented! I can't leave yet! He'll think I abandoned him! That I forgot about him! I can't do that to him!" Connie cried out.

Garnet walked over to Connie and gently placed a hand on her shoulder.

"It's alright, Connie. I understand these feelings, in a way. You are more than welcome to stay if you need to."

Priyanka watched as Connie relaxed into Garnet's touch. She met eyes with her daughter before walking over to her.

"It's alright Connie. I didn't mean to upset you. I just worried that you might need a break from … everything. But if you feel better waiting here, then I'm OK with that. You are an adult now, after all," Priyanka grinned.

Connie nodded and then turned to look at the crumbling Sky Arena. She looked at all of the different statues and then turned to Pearl.

"Pearl? If the entire Diamond Authority were to show up, would they be like the statues depict? Would we stand a chance against them?"

"I don't know, Connie," Pearl admitted.

"Did Rose ever spar against your holograms to practice fighting against any of them?"

Pearl did not like where this was going.

A thrill went through Garnet as she looked into the future. She knew she liked Connie for a reason.


	6. The Anger Stage

A/N - Thanks for the reviews! This was another chapter that was a little tough to write but hey, more Amedot! Next up will be some more plot stuff. And Onion ahoy!

Feel free to review!

-FourFaces

A green sparkle reflected in Onion's eyes as he looked over the gem that he held in his hand. Everyone had noticed that he became extremely withdrawn after hearing about Steven. He only would reply to a question or comment with a short word or sentence and then disappear into his own world. Most of his time was spent looking over the gem that he held in his hands. It was green and large, almost too big to have fit in one of his pockets, and it felt heavy in his hands.

Steven had explained to him what would happen if one of these gems was badly damaged. Onion wondered if Steven looked like this now too. Steven had never said what would happen to him if he was injured.

He wasn't even sure if this gem was one of the bad gems or not. She had just attacked him at one point, so he assumed she was. She barely looked human when she attacked him, looking more like a sandy, crumbling statue. When he had poofed her, she had disintegrated into sand, leaving only the gem.

Onion sighed and put the gem back onto his bed. It wasn't regenerating now, so there was that. He laid back and stared at the ceiling. He wondered if Steven would be proud of him for poofing this gem. Maybe he would be annoyed or angry with him, like he had been so often when they were younger. He rolled over and looked at the gem.

Something was pulling him to take the gem outside, but he ignored it for now. After all, it could get lost in the sand …

Garnet sat in the bubble room, curled up on herself. She continued to search for chances of healing the shattered gems. She knew that the shards were still alive in a way, but she wasn't sure if they could be recovered. She wanted them to be recovered. She wanted to believe that Steven could heal them.

She wanted to believe that he was going to come back.

Another bubble appeared above her. They were appearing in the room more slowly now, signaling the end of beach cleanup. Soon, a decision would have to be made. She knew that there was a high probability of Jasper returning soon. She didn't want to call her Yellow Diamond yet. She knew the previous Yellow Diamond before. Or rather, Ruby and Sapphire had. Before Rose was a part of the Diamond Authority. When Ruby was a low level laborer and Sapphire was Blue Diamond's favorite seer.

Garnet held onto herself tighter. She wasn't going to fall apart again over this.

 _They'll be finished soon._

 _I know._

 _We need to confront them before they make any brash decisions._

 _I know. But they might be right._

… _I know._

Garnet clenched her fists and then stood up, walking towards the door. She needed to get away and think.

She walked out into the beach house and stepped onto the warp pad. She was about to warp away when she looked up at Lion.

The ginger stripes on the fur had faded slightly. This unnerved the fusion as she decided to walk over to the giant beast.

Connie had not returned yet from sparring so Garnet might have some time alone to examine the large cat before Connie returned to her constant vigil. He did seem different from the last time she looked at him. Perhaps the previous observation was a trick of the light or wishful thinking. Perhaps his mane really was as full as before and the stripes were just shadows from the blinds.

Garnet went to the window and opened the blinds to remove that possibility.

The stripes remained.

Garnet grinned and then sat next to the lion, stroking his mane.

"Steven. I hope that you can hear me," she began. "I know you can do this. I believe in you."

There was no response from the big cat. Garnet expected this. She sat in silence for a long time until she began to hum softly, stroking Lion's mane and hoping that Steven might hear.

Steven had been afraid of this part of regeneration, if he was being truly honest with himself. The thought of possibly having another shape-shifting accident still horrified him. He looked at Lion who sat on the treasure chest expectantly.

"Just try growing out your hair a little more. It's easier than trying to make yourself into a cat," he chuckled.

Steven nodded and thought about what he would look like with longer hair. He pictured curls, slightly like his mother's, down his back. He imagined how it would feel, the weight of longer hair. A brief thought of how it would finally get Lion off of his back with regards to Steven needing a more regal hairstyle distracted him, as did the ensuing laughing fit from Lion. Steven quirked open an eye and looked at Lion.

"What?"

"Oh man! I need to get the mirror out of the treasure chest for this one! Oh Steven!" Lion howled. Lion pawed at the treasure chest and struggled to get it open. When it popped open, he leaped in and pulled out a hand mirror. "Don't worry. This is just a regular mirror. No gem on it," Lion purred, holding up the mirror in his teeth for Steven to see.

Steven's hair was a mane alright. Long, shaggy, fluffy, and framing his now whiskered face.

"Augh! No! I don't want that!" Steven cried out.

Lion laughed and hopped over to him.

"Don't worry. Just focus on something that isn't me and you'll be fine. Maybe you would like to do this in the mirror after all," the cat grinned, holding the mirror up for Steven again.

Steven watched as the hair went back to his normal cropped length and the whiskers receded from his face. He then stared at his hair, watching it grow again. Chocolate brown ringlets framed his face and he gasped at how much he looked like his mother now. He ran his hand across his chin and soon the starts of a goatee sprouted. Steven smiled. At least now he looked his age.

He wondered what Connie might think.

"Ooh, she's going to like that!" Lion smiled. "I mean, she'll be happy to see you anyway, but she'll especially enjoy your new look. Now … let's see. You'll need to replace that torn shirt. Let's try focusing on creating -"

Lion's eyes glowed.

"What?"

"Oh no. We need to get you out of here and fast. I can't believe it's been this long. Argh!"

"What? Why?" Steven cried out.

"She's back," Lion said as he ushered Steven over to the tree.

Peridot had come in at some point while Garnet was humming and stroking Lion's mane. She quietly made her way up the stairs and stood at the threshold. Things were definitely less tense than when she first regularly interacted with Garnet, but there were still doubts in Peridot's mind, especially knowing what she may have to do soon. She was still afraid of the fusion as well. She was about to clear her throat so that Garnet knew she was there (but of course, she probably knew anyway), when the warp pad activated.

Peridot and Garnet looked to see Connie, Pearl, and Priyanka warp in. Connie was drenched in sweat and looked exhausted yet happy. Pearl was slightly shaken and Priyanka was speechless.

"I take it the sparring session went well," Garnet stated as Connie ran to Steven's bathroom to shower.

"Yes. She did well against all of the holograms. It took a lot of concentration to change those holopearls into holodiamonds and I'm still not sure that she'll really be prepared if ..." Pearl trailed off.

Priyanka walked to the couch and sat down. This was only the third time that Peridot had seen Connie's mother and she looked much older now than she had the last time. Peridot walked over to her and sat on the couch next to her.

"Mrs. Maheswaran. Maybe we can convince Connie to stay in if the Diamond Authority really does return to Earth. If Steven doesn't return, then she may not fight -" Peridot started.

"No. She'll fight even harder if I know her. I've never seen that fire in her eyes like I did in the arena. It's frightening but at the same time, she seemed more at peace there than I expected her to be. Like this was meant to be."

Deep down, Peridot knew this was true, but neither she nor Pearl wanted to believe it. They knew what could happen to Connie. Pearl had seen it before and Peridot had seen flashes in holographic nightmares that Pearl had. In a way, she was their only tie to Steven right now, other than the Lion who was currently comatose on Steven's bed.

" _I'm so glad you were able to come over, Connie!" Steven smiled as he pulled Connie along to the barn. "We really need your help with this drill and you're one of the smartest people I know!"_

 _Connie blushed._

" _I don't know about that, Steven," Connie smiled. "I think Pearl would know about this more than I would."_

 _Connie stopped when she saw the new gem sitting down, tied to the fence. She didn't look as dangerous as Steven had told her before, especially with the harness. She even seemed almost scared or sad._

" _Is that Peridot?" Connie whispered._

" _Yeah. But I don't think she's an evil gem anymore. She even is starting to get along with Amethyst and Pearl! Garnet … not so much."_

 _Connie's eyes darted over to the giant drill that had been created. It towered over Pearl who was currently doing a third check of the structural integrity of the exterior._

" _That already looks so good. I don't know how else I could help to improve it, Steven," Connie gasped. "Where does the driver sit?"_

" _Oh, just at the top. It's got room for all of us in there," Steven beamed._

 _Connie nodded and then paused._

" _Wait. Are you going in it too?"_

" _Yeah!"_

 _Connie shook her head._

" _No, no. There needs to be something to protect you from the intense pressures when you're drilling into the ground. And if you really are going to be getting there quickly, you'll need to do it from the bottom of the ocean. Sure, the Gems are good swimmers, but I don't think you can hold your breath that long!" Connie rambled._

 _Soon, she was off, running to Pearl and talking to her about her concerns for Steven's safety on the drill._

 _Steven smiled, watching Connie and Pearl talk. He had known she could maybe help, but even if not, he had missed her. Sure, it was nice hanging out with the Gems, but he missed the interaction with his favorite human friend._

" _Steven?" He heard Peridot whisper behind him. "What is that human doing talking with Pearl?"_

" _Oh! That's Connie! She's my best friend and I wanted her to come help too. She's really smart and already saw something all of us missed when building the drill."_

 _Peridot's nose scrunched._

" _A human, improving on Gem technology? Even with our scrapped together plans for this drill, her engineering skills couldn't possibly compare to that of even the – I mean – Pearl's!"_

" _Oh no, she's not engineering anything. She just pointed out that I wouldn't survive the trip if I went in the drill. She's been going to school for years and knows about all sorts of things. She's who I talk to when I need to know stuff bout being a human that my dad can't teach me," Steven smiled. "And she's just fun to be around."_

 _Peridot noticed something about the way the Steven talked about the Connie. It was almost like how Pearl talked about Rose Quartz (or Amethyst about Pearl). She couldn't quite place it yet, but it felt nice almost, if not a little annoying._

" _So, why's your girlfriend here, Steven?" Amethyst chuckled from behind them._

 _Steven blushed and stammered, "She's not my girlfriend, Amethyst! I wanted her to come help, that's all."_

" _Uh-huh," Amethyst laughed._

" _What's a 'girlfriend'?" Peridot asked._

 _Steven went even redder as Amethyst laughed._

" _Oh Peri, you're a riot! A girlfriend would be someone who Steven loooves!" Amethyst teased._

" _Stop it, Amethyst!" Steven stammered. "She'll hear you!"_

" _Wait," Peridot began, "So, the Connie is a 'girlfriend' that the Steven 'loves'. Interesting. And this love is obviously something distressing to the Steven."_

" _No! She's not -"_

" _Amethyst! I'm going to need you to come over here and hold something for me!" Pearl exclaimed, motioning for her as Connie stood nearby._

" _Ugh! She's always asking me to hold this or do tat!" Amethyst groaned as she transformed into Purple Puma and stomped over to Pearl. "I'm more than a pair of strong arms that hold things, Pearl!"_

 _Steven let out a deep breath and turned to Perdot who was blushing a dark shade of green._

" _Peridot?"_

" _Steven. I think something might be wrong with me. I may be more defective than I originally thought."_

 _Steven panicked, "Oh no! Is it something with your gem?"_

" _No … no. I just have this weird … feeling. It seems to correlate to interactions with Amethyst. As if she's causing me to feel these feelings."_

 _Steven cocked his head._

" _Like butterflies in your stomach?" Steven asked._

" _What's a butterfly?"_

" _It's a – never mind, I'll show you in one of my books at home. Is it like a nervousness? Like you want to impress her and don't want to look silly in front of her but you're afraid that you do anyway?"_

" _And I want to be around her even though I'm feeling this way whenever I'm around her."_

 _Steven grinned and then laughed._

" _What? What's so funny?" Peridot complained._

" _Peridot! You like her!" Steven cried out._

" _What? Well of course I do. She's the most tolerable gem here!" Peridot explained._

" _No! I mean like-like. In fact …" Stars appeared in Steven's eyes._

" _It's really weird that your eyes do that," Peridot stated._

" _You love her, don't you? Awww Peridot has a crush!" Steven smiled._

" _What? I do not have a crush! My gem is perfectly intact!" Peridot cried out._

" _No! I mean, you really, really like Amethyst. That's what a crush is," Steven sighed._

" _Oh. So like you and the Connie?" Peridot asked simply._

 _Steven paused._

 _Yes. It would be like Connie and himself._

 _But he wasn't about to admit that. She might hear and then she might think he was weird or not feel the same way and that would be the end of the world for him._

 _It was almost an hour before Connie returned to Steven. Peridot watched how the two of them interacted. Steven was always such a sickeningly positive person to be around, but with Connie there, the effect was maximized. It was almost intoxicating to be around them. She listened to Connie speak and could instantly recognize the intelligence that this small human showed. Not quite Gem level, of course, but definitely better than a lot of the humans she had interacted with (granted, that was limited to the father of the Steven and the human that the Steven later told her was called "Ronaldo"), but at the time, Connie was the only human she felt like she could connect with._

 _The Connie was oddly friendly with her, even though it seemed that the Steven had told her all about Homeworld and the altercations they had in the past. The Connie even shook Peridot's hand, which alarmed her at first. This human might be alright._

 _The sun was setting and the Connie had to leave. Steven seemed a little sadder after she was gone, compared to how he had been the entire afternoon. It was almost like how she felt if she didn't have a positive interaction with Amethyst or if she didn't see her right away in the morning._

 _Maybe it was this "love" thing._

 _She wasn't sure how she felt about that._

Connie stood in the shower watching the soap bubbles swirl around the drain. She had worked herself into exhaustion, trying to take her mind off of Steven. It had worked, for the most part. Now though, she was fighting to hold herself together.

She was angry now. She had cried enough, almost to the point where she couldn't cry anymore. She wanted someone to blame for it. Anyone.

She was mad at Yellow Diamond of course. At all of the Gem Homeworld. They had send the armada to Earth. They had come to kill millions. It was their fault that Steven might not ever come back.

Jasper, of course, was the most to blame. She was directly responsible for this. Steven would still be there if she hadn't plunged her sword into him. It was her fault.

And Steven. Why did he choose right then to try to talk about all of the issues the two were having? Why couldn't he have waited? Why did he have to be her first friend? Why did he inspire her to love him so much? Why did he find her on the beach all those years ago only to be ripped away from her like this?

No. Connie knew who was at fault.

She was supposed to be watching out for him. They were a team and she failed at her job. She should have seen Jasper coming. She should have kept an eye out for any movement on the beach. She should have held the Fusion together longer, told Steven they needed to stay as Stevonnie … anything. Then he would still be here.

No longer did she feel that it should have been her. She could have gotten both of them out of there alive and she knew it.

A solid punch hit the shower tile. She didn't even realize she had done it at first. The pain was barely there. She stared at the cracks in the tile before looking at her bloodied knuckles. The blood dripped down and mixed with the soapy water that still swirled around the drain.

She didn't truly feel the pain until much later, after hiding her injury long enough to try and find a vial of Rose's tears. Having failed at that task, she made sure no one was still in the temple (thank goodness someone decided that the gems and her mother should all go out onto the deck), and, after finding a warp whistle, hopped onto the warp pad to head to Rose's fountain.

Warping used to make her dizzy. Right now, she was only slightly dizzy from blood loss, not that she really cared at this point. She needed to fix up her hand before she went back home. The gems would ask and then get concerned. Her mother would probably insist that she came home.

She was not about to do that.

As she landed in the garden around Rose's fountain, she felt a new wave of anger bubble up inside of her. At least the fountain had been maintained enough that the water was still running. The image she saw of Rose, weeping over the fountain, made her place a new blame.

"Why did you do it?" She cried out. "Did you know that he would touch someone's life so much? That someone might love him? That he might die?"

She stormed over to the fountain and stared up at the statue's face.

"Garnet says he may survive but she's been wrong before. And she only said there's a chance! A small chance! You knew this would happen, didn't you? When you decided to do this … You knew that your son would affect someone so much … I ..."

Connie stopped herself before she continued on in her anger.

"I sometimes wish that I hadn't met him. I know I would have had a miserable time growing up but … but this hurts more than anything! You must have known that pain. I know you felt love for Greg. You were immortal so you had to have loved others … You must have known how much this would hurt …

"And I'm mad at you for Pearl too. At least now she's become more of her own gem but … she got me into this whole mess because of you! She got me thinking that I needed to sacrifice everything for Steven, like she did for you! It took so long to get her out of that. Did you even know how much she loved you? Did you know that she was still so devoted to you?"

The dull pain in her hand returned and she looked down at her swollen knuckles.

"Steven still didn't know if he was living up to your legacy. He was always so caught up in his destiny. He was so worried that he was a disappointment when he couldn't use one of his powers. Did you know that you left that much of an impact? Do you know how hard it has been for all of them? How hard it will be?"

Connie finally couldn't stand the pain anymore and plunged her fist into the fountain. She looked at her reflection and saw her haunted face staring back. It was obvious that sleep had not been a priority and her face was thinner from a week of refusing to eat. She looked back up at Rose's statue.

She wondered for a moment if the fountain worked on one's emotions.

 _Splash!_

When Garnet warped in a moment later, after seeing a troubling future vision when she saw the broken tiles in the shower, she was not sure if Connie had jumped in out of despair (her worst fear after her troubling memories from the war) or fallen in from exhaustion. She pulled the barely conscious young woman out of the fountain and dragged her to the warp pad. After studying her tired face, Garnet came to the conclusion that Connie was just exhausted. Relief waved over her entire being.

"I thought it would help ..." Connie murmured. "I was so mad ..."

"I understand, Connie. Let's get you home," Garnet whispered. "I won't tell anyone."

"Thank you, Garnet."

The two warped home and Connie dragged herself back up to Steven's bed, flopping down next to Lion.

Garnet watched Connie from the bottom of the stairs before turning to the other three Gems and Priyanka.

"She'll be fine here, Mrs. Maheswaran," Garnet stated. "We'll keep an eye on her."

Priyanka wanted to argue, but Garnet was right. If Connie stayed here, she might at least come to grips with the loss of Steven if that did happen. If she was away and they confirmed that Steven was gone forever, Connie would never believe it without seeing it with her own eyes. This way really was better.

After another half-hour of reassurances and conversation, Priyanka left, casting one more glance to her sleeping daughter, and the Gems were alone in the living room again. They were silent until Garnet finally cleared her throat.

"I think there is something we all need to talk about … We need to do something about the bubbled gems."


	7. Fluorite

A/N: Thank you again for the reviews! To Duke, I'm glad to see someone like the Onion and Steven and Peridot and Connie friendships! There will be more of that on the way (in fact, some of the latter may just be in this chapter!)

This one is a little shorter because I'm trying to figure out where I'm going to bring in the next major plot thing (after the major one in this chapter). Also, we're going into some of my crazy headcanon/theory territory with this one, so bear with me! This chapter is also for Amedot shippers but for the Pearlidot ones, have no fear! That will be coming soon! Then we'll be making some big, happy Pearlidotethyst chapters soon! I'm also kind of tempted to start work on either a one-shot or a shorter story based on an idea my husband and I had (that some of you who have seen my tumblr might have heard me mention). If I do, it will make this one look like a freaking romantic comedy, so be warned.

Please feel free to review!

-Four Faces

It had taken a long time for Amethyst or Pearl to notice the change. The broken tiles were their first clue.

Peridot had taken Connie out of the house to try and take her mind off of everything while Amethyst, Pearl, and Garnet debated over which gems to try and have Steven heal first if he returned. They had decided to give it two more weeks before they would start harvesting. They would harvest the most recently trained gems and the enemy gems first. Then, maybe, Steven might not be as upset if – when he came back.

Lapis and Chrysoprase were off limits indefinitely.

Pearl had gone into the bathroom to clean and decompress when she had seen the bloodstained, broken tiles, a distinctive imprint of a fist in the center. She immediately called Garnet who stared at it with a straight face.

"Did … did Connie do that?" Pearl asked.

"Hmm ..."

"She can't punch that hard normally, can she?" Pearl asked.

Amethyst had joined her and was torn between feeling proud and worried. Connie was definitely showing strange behavior anyway, but this was unexpected. There were pieces now that needed to be put together to determine what was going on with their favorite young human.

Garnet had seen the signs long before that. Connie's aptitude towards the sword fighting (and increased endurance the more time she spent around Steven, especially after their first fusion) was definitely abnormal for someone her age when she started training with Pearl. Garnet remembered humans during the first war and Connie was nothing like them. Her aging also seemed to slow down as she had looked the same for the last three years. It was all pointing down a path that Garnet had seen back when Steven first mentioned Connie. When he had mentioned he cured her eye sight, she began to watch for any signs that Connie might have a change. After Stevonnie was first formed, she became even more invested and began to notice these signs immediately.

She grinned inwardly. She had wondered what effects the healing powers of the Rose Quartz gem would have on a human, and now it was confirmed. She had even noticed these effects in Greg (who was barely starting to grow gray hairs and had aged very slowly in the years he was with Rose). Even after Steven's birth, he still seemed to have been affected by Rose's gem..

And Rose and Greg had only performed a human "fusion". Imagine what the effects on a human would be if they performed the traditional gem fusion, like Steven and Connie had so many times.

This excited the clairvoyant fusion. She hoped that the most positive future would truly happen now. She had known that fusion would be an important aspect of Steven's life, but she didn't realize how important until it stared her in the face. His worst fears might not be realized after all, barring some grievous battle injury, of course.

She wanted to test this more. It was an exciting theory, but it was still only a theory. Then, she had to wonder how all of this was able to affect Connie and what it meant for the future. She, of course, could see the overwhelmingly positive possibility the easiest right now, but she was never one to only go with the most probable.

There would be a lot of things that would have to happen to prove it to her. For one, the only time she had ever fused with any of the gems, other than Steven, was when she was already fused with Steven. Normal humans could not fuse with gems, so if she wasn't being affected by Steven, then she shouldn't be able to fuse with another gem. There was also the case of how she handled battles. She had not been there during the battle on the beach to see if Connie received any serious injuries and what sort of healing occurred if she had. Connie could still get injured seriously and there would be no gem to poof into.

Garnet soon realized that she was currently being stared at by the other two gems. She would probably have some explaining to do soon.

Greg sat on the dock, tuning his guitar. He didn't want to be in the gems' way as they were cleaning up the beach so he came here instead.

He watched as a boat approached the dock. He soon remembered the fishing trip that Yellowtail had told him about. How he was taking Sour Cream out for the summer on a trip to try and bond with him. Marty returning to Beach City years ago really made Sour Cream appreciate his step-father more, but there was still tension between the two of them. Yellowtail had confided in Greg that he hoped this trip might strengthen their bond a little more.

Greg wondered what they might think when they finally saw the aftermath of the battle. He knew that Sour Cream was upset that he was leaving for so long, especially knowing that his brother was probably going to get involved in something and get hurt.

The boat docked and, at the first moment where it was safe to do so, Sour Cream bounded out, his eyes wide with fear as he surveyed the clean-up.

"Oh my god … Onion?"

"It's OK!" Greg said, calming the young man down. "He's alright. So are Buck and Jenny. They had found a place to hide and avoided the worst parts of the battle."

Sour Cream breathed a sigh of relief as Yellowtail approached the pair. "OK … That's good … How did it go?"

"Well, we won for now," Greg began. "All of the gems' non-human allies were shattered. They've been cleaning them up now to avoid any incidents. Lapis was shattered as well and we may be expecting a counterattack from the entire Homeworld invasion force - "

"What about Steven?" Sour Cream asked. It did not escape him that Greg did not immediately tell him how he was doing.

"I … I don't know. He was gravelly injured and they think that he might recover. He's been in his Lion's mane since the battle ended. It's really taken a toll on everyone."

Yellowtail murmured something. Greg knew instantly what his worry was. It would be the same if he was in the same position.

"Onion didn't take it well, according to Vidalia. He's been shut off again. She said he keeps staring at a gem that he poofed in the battle. One that has been inert since it ended."

Greg could see that both men were upset by this. Yellowtail showed a twinge of emotion on his usually stoic face and Sour Cream nearly crumbled. So much had been done to bring Onion out of his shell and Greg knew that losing Steven would destroy everything that they had all done to help him out. It was why he didn't want to tell him at all. But he would find out eventually. He was a smart kid and would figure out when he didn't get to see Steven on the boardwalk or come over to train at the temple with him.

"Have you seen him at all today?"

"No. I haven't seen him since we told him. I've mostly been helping fix things around town or spending time at the Temple seeing if Steven is OK. It's been a rough few weeks," Greg said, rubbing the back of his neck.

The three began to walk down the boardwalk in silence. Greg was about to head back to the Temple when he saw a blinding flash of light near one of the few roller coasters that remained standing. Without thinking of anything else, he broke into a run, Sour Cream and Yellowtail following not too far behind him.

"So, Amethyst got me hooked on those 'canines of extreme temperature' the first time we were here, and I thought that maybe the stand might have reopened and we can get some," Peridot explained as she and Connie walked down the boardwalk.

Connie was still distracted, being transported through so many memories of the summers she spent here with Steven. She held in her tears as she walked alongside the eager gem.

"Ooh! Look, Connie! It's that roller coaster that we rode for Steven's birthday that one – er … It's a roller coaster and it survived the battle," Peridot stammered as she realized what she had done. _You clod! You weren't supposed to remind her of Steven! You've failed the mission._

Connie smiled sadly at the roller coaster. Yes, it did remind her of Steven, but she knew why Peridot was so excited to see it again.

" _Aw man! You have to be 4 and a half feet tall? We're barely there!" Steven complained._

" _It's ok, Steven," Connie smiled. "We can ride one of the other rides."_

 _Steven had wanted to take the group to Funland for his 12th birthday, something that Ruby and Amethyst were ecstatic about, not having been there since Steven had been banned after the Teacups Incident. Sapphire was uneasy, roller coasters not really being her thing, and Peridot was unsure why humans would strap themselves to such an obviously dangerous contraption just for fun._

 _But if it excited Amethyst …_

" _Wait … I know how we can get on the new ride!" Ruby exclaimed._

 _Sapphire chuckled._

" _I knew you wouldn't last long unfused," Sapphire teased._

" _Hey! This is for Steven! For his birthday! It's a very serious reason to fuse! Then we'll unfuse right after the ride!"_

" _Alright, so you four are all paired up, but what about us?" Amethyst complained._

 _As soon as the words left her mouth, she gasped and looked to Peridot who was flushed a dark green. The small green gem tried to hide her eager, embarrassed smile._

" _Uh … well … I've never … Um … I'm fine if I cannot be included in this activity without a fusion partner ..." Peridot stammered._

" _Oh no. You're learning how to do this!" Amethyst grinned. "Besides, I'm not sitting out this ride!"_

 _Truth be told, ever since she began to learn about love, Peridot also wanted to try fusion. If Garnet was right about the best use of fusion, then she wanted to experience it._

 _And she really wanted to experience it with Amethyst, some day._

 _Amethyst offered a hand to her, "Just dance, Peri! Let it all out! It'll be fun! I promise!"_

 _Peridot tentatively took Amethyst's hand. How bad could it be?_

 _Amethyst pulled Peridot in for a spin and then led the dance, Peridot blushing furiously the entire time. Amethyst's gem glowed brightly. Peridot stared at her, not noticing the glow of her own gem. They pulled close together and were enveloped in a bright light._

 _Is … Is this me? Us?_

 _Woo-hoo! We did it!_

 _The new fusion stood, looking at Garnet and Stevonnie who stared at her, amazed. She looked at her two sets of arms with her one set of eyes and marveled her purple and green arms. She looked down to see only one set of legs. She was almost as stable as Opal. She could feel the part of her that was Peridot flutter with excitement._

" _I knew this was a probability, but this is amazing. Good work, Peridot!" Garnet grinned._

" _How do you feel?" Stevonnie asked._

 _How do we feel? I ..._

 _Well, I feel stoked! I can't wait to get on this ride!_

 _Oh. Yes, that is how I feel too._

" _G-great! I feel great!" The fusion grinned._

 _Wait, you were feeling something else, just now._

 _Oh, it's nothing._

 _No. Part of being in a fusion is communication. You were feeling something else._

" _Um … Peridot? Amethyst?" Stevonnie asked. "Are you OK?"_

 _The fusion grabbed at her head and shuddered before taking a deep breath._

" _Yes. We're – I'm fine. And my name is Fluorite ..."_

" _Okay, Fluorite. Well …"_

 _It's nothing, OK? It's probably just a side effect of fusion._

 _No. I've fused so many times and this isn't a usual feeling unless … Oh … Peridot, I'm sorry that I made you …_

 _A wave of emotions. Confusion. Hurt. Memories of Opal. Of quiet times with ..._

 _Oh … The Pearl …_

 _Wait! Peridot!_

 _Fluorite nearly came apart while Stevonnie and Garnet's backs were turned, but she pulled herself together again._

 _She waited in line in near silence behind Garnet and Stevonnie who talked about something that she wasn't paying attention to. She just felt the emotions inside her. She wasn't sure what they were yet, being so new, but she also had a feeling that she knew. She wanted these emotions to subside. She didn't want to come apart just yet._

 _She tried to enjoy the ride, but it was difficult with her conflicting emotions. She wanted to just talk it out, to find out why there was this inner turmoil._

 _When they got off the ride, Steven and Connie unfused and she saw them hugging tight for the first time after splitting apart instead of just falling apart like Peridot had seen the first time she met Stevonnie. The two looked at each other, blushed, and then laughed before hugging each oth_ _er again. Garnet smiled and let herself come apart as well, Ruby and Sapphire being even more amorous (since they obviously were aware of each other's feelings)._

 _If fusions were best if they were made of love …_

 _So, that's love._

 _Yeah …_

 _Amethyst … I …_

 _Before Peridot could finish, the two fell apart, Peridot landing on her back. Amethyst walked over and held out her hand to her._

" _Hey. That was fun. We should do that more often," Amethyst smiled._

 _Peridot took Amethyst's hand and blushed._

 _They would definitely need to talk about this later._

"It's ok, Peridot," Connie smiled. "Thanks for bringing me here. I needed to get out of there, I guess. You've always been such a good friend to me … Thank you."

Peridot smiled. She loved hearing Connie say those words. It didn't fill her with the same feelings she felt for Amethyst or Pearl (not by a long shot), but it was almost as addicting. A feeling that she had done something right. It was a closeness that only those two shared.

Gentle music drifted in and the two turned to try and find the source. They wandered down the boardwalk some more, following the sounds that they heard.

Soon, they approached the area where the Teacup ride used to be. There sat a young man playing a guitar. It had to have been one of the seasonal visitors, there to busk, hoping that someone might still throw him some money.

Connie swayed to the music, seemingly being taken away to another world. Peridot smiled and also found herself drawn to dance. Connie noticed and laughed for the first time in weeks. Peridot's dances were always more reserved, like her own had been when she first started dancing with Steven, and dancing with Peridot was almost as fun and comfortable. The two whirled around, dancing and forgetting the pain that they both had felt the last few weeks. Connie grabbed Peridot's hands and twirled her around, the two laughing as they spun.

The busker stopped playing when he saw the bright light.


	8. Aventurine and Unakite

A/N: Wow, I didn't expect to finish this one so quickly. Hooray for days off and tons of inspiration!

The next chapter will sort of be the end of Part One (I think. I may stretch it for two more chapters). Then I may take a break and work on the one shorter fic. Hooray for Pearlidot and Amedot in this one as well as more Connie and Peridot friendship, Onion and Steven friendship, and Greg being #1 dad (he's seriously one of my favorite TV dads ever).

Thank you again for the reviews and favorites and I'm so happy that last chapter got people excited! Hopefully the next couple will stay that way!

Feel free to review!

-FourFaces

" _So … why did you want me to come in here with you?" Peridot asked._

 _It had been a week since the incident at Funland and Peridot was extremely nervous. Pearl had led her into her room in the temple, shutting the door behind her before leaping to one of the watery towers. She had barely spoken a word to the confused gem, waiting for Peridot to make her way up to the same tower she rested on._

" _I heard that you fused with Amethyst at Funland to go on a ride," Pearl started._

 _Peridot paled and stammered. "Um … It's not what you think! We thought it was a dangerous situation! It wasn't her idea! Don't punish her! I didn't know!"_

 _Pearl blinked, "Wait? Punish her? I would never – The problem wasn't that you were fused, or even that you fused for the ride – It doesn't surprise me at all that Amethyst would be alright with fusing for that reason. I just worry that she showed you the wrong techniques. Sure, your fusion was stable enough to ride on a roller coaster, but she may not have been stable enough for battle. You will need a strong bond and respect for one another to fuse on the battlefield. You'll need to know that you are willing to protect each other."_

 _Peridot breathed a sigh of relief before realizing what was going to happen next._

" _Wait. Are you suggesting?"_

" _Peridot, listen to the music that is playing in this room. How soft and fluid. To match with my gem's frequency for fusion, you must be calm, like this."_

 _Peridot watched as Pearl rose up and bowed to her, her gem glowing brightly. She was compelled to rise up and do the same, feeling a warmth that washed over her. She watched as Pearl began to twirl, like a ballerina that Connie had shown her one night on the television (something she wished they had on homeworld). Peridot tried to copy her moves, shyly looking away if Pearl glanced at her. Pearl smiled._

" _It's alright to look at your partner when you're dancing," She chuckled._

 _Peridot looked at Pearl. She was graceful and the glow of her gem was beautiful._

 _Peridot was horribly confused now. Why on earth was she feeling that same fluttery feeling … for a Pearl? Much less, this Pearl? Yes, they had grown closer through all of the stress of creating the cluster, but she already was feeling those feelings for Amethyst. Why were these just as strong? What was wrong with this planet?!_

 _Pearl gently grabbed Peridot's hand and twirled her around. Peridot blushed and her gem glowed. Pearl then spun her in close and Peridot felt her body come apart and reform._

 _She felt that same closeness with Pearl that she had felt with Amethyst. It was intoxicating. She looked down at her (their?) hands. She could tell that she was mostly a pale green. Once again, much like Fluorite, she only had one set of eyes and two sets of arms. She could feel Pearl's excitement over this. She could also feel Peridot's confusion._

 _Wait. Another fusion that's like the Opal? How?_

 _She could feel a peal of laughter from Pearl. She was confused. Then she felt the emotions._

 _The love that Pearl had felt for Rose Quartz. That love was different than what she had felt as Opal. It was more uncertain. More frenzied. The love that Pearl had felt with Amethyst was a healing love. Healing from the pain of loving Rose. Healing from feeling wrong and bad because of the circumstances of one's creation. When Pearl was Opal, there was a warmth that filled her. When she was with Amethyst, there was that same warmth._

 _Peridot was feeling that now, much like she had with Amethyst._

 _It's alright._

 _No … I shouldn't be feeling this … This planet is so …_

 _Calm down … It's alright. This is the most important emotion you could learn to feel on this planet. When you're honestly communicating with your partner, then you can strengthen the fusion's bond. Garnet is the way she is because of that communication between Ruby and Sapphire. They love each other so much, they can stay fused indefinitely. Opal can stay fused for long periods because of Amethyst and myself communicating. When you fuse properly and for the right reasons, you can get lost in each other. It might be scary at first, but after a while, it's one of the most wonderful things to feel._

 _She wanted to feel this feeling forever. It was as intoxicating as thoughts of being Fluorite. The fusion smiled, loving this feeling. She didn't want to stop being Aventurine. She wondered ..._

 _And yes, triple fusions are possible._

 _A thrill of excitement almost sent Peridot out of the fusion. She immediately felt embarrassed to think of it. All of these feelings were so new and so strange._

 _The door to Pearl's room opened and in walked Amethyst. Peridot nearly fell apart again, but Pearl held her in._

 _It's alright. She knew we were going to attempt this today._

" _Ooh lookin' good you guys!" Amethyst laughed. "Did you talk with her then?"_

 _Aventurine smiled and nodded._

" _We can try a triple fusion in a little while, after we talk some more," Aventurine smiled. "I think we might all benefit from it."_

 _When they unfused, Pearl was holding tightly onto Peridot who cried tears of joy. Amethyst joined in the embrace. They would have a lot to talk about, but right now, they had each other._

"Wow. I had no idea my music would have that effect on people," The busker gasped as he watched the 8 foot tall woman form from the blinding light. Her skin was Green with patches of reddish brown mixed in and her brown hair formed a loose triangle above her head. A single gem rested on her forehead. She turned around to see the busker who was joined by an astonished Greg, Sour Cream, and Yellowtail.

"Oh. My. Stars ..."

Greg stood the closest to woman. He couldn't believe his eyes. He could easily see Peridot's features in the woman's face but someone else was there as well.

"Connie?" Greg gasped.

The fusion knew the name and knew it was a part of her. She was still so shocked by existing. She looked down at her arms and saw that she only had two.

 _But … usually fusions have multiple sets of arms or eyes or …_

 _I think it's because I'm a human._

 _Peridot could feel the wave of emotions that Connie had been feeling right before Connie shut them away from her. Connie didn't want her to feel them as well._

 _Are these really the thoughts you've been having lately? I'm so sorry! I'm such a terrible friend that I didn't notice -_

 _No! You're not terrible! I just have been shut off. It's not your fault!_

The three Crystal Gems had shown up seconds later, Garnet alerting them to the possibility that something was going to happen at the boardwalk. They stood in awe of the tall fusion.

"P-Peridot?" Pearl stammered. "Connie? Did … did they?"

Garnet was grinning from ear to ear. Yes, this would confirm her suspicions nicely. Greg cautiously walked up to the two.

"How on Earth?" He asked. "But … you're fully human, right? How did this happen?"

The part of the fusion that was Connie was uncertain. The part that was Peridot was just amazed.

"What do we even call you?" Amethyst laughed. "I mean, usually, a gem fusion knows what type of gem they are from the component parts of themselves but this is unprecedented! Even with Steven, he was only half human!"

"I … I don't know," the fusion stammered. "I have no idea how this even happened."

"You look almost like a Unakite," Garnet finally observed, having contained her joy enough to speak. "They're not a gem that is produced on Homeworld, from what Sapphire can remember. In fact, I think they are a completely Earth created gem. Homeworld never attempted making any outside of the naturally occurring ones that were created by the earth itself. It seems fitting."

Amethyst chuckled. "Unakite … Maybe. Though it could be Peronnie! Connidot! Ha! I like that one!"

Pearl stared straight ahead at the fusion. It frightened and excited her. A human able to fuse with a full gem. And that Peridot was the one to fuse with Connie was even more amazing. She had been so proud watching Peridot grow and change from the moment they had first met her. She was beginning to love Earth just as much as the rest of the gems did. She had watched her overcome her previous prejudices and fears to become her own gem. Not just a Homeworld Peridot, but her own gem. Someone who was smart and free to feel emotions. Free to experiment with new things. Free to love. Free to care about others.

The fusion sat down on the boardwalk and stared at the ground. She could feel that they needed to stay fused to work through the emotions that both had been feeling. Peridot still felt responsible for Steven's possible death.

 _No … there's a chance he's still alive. Lion has been changing and Garnet thinks that this is a side effect of Steven regenerating._

 _What? But he's half human. He couldn't retreat into his gem!_

 _He's half gem as well. Maybe something in Lion's mane could heal him._

 _I almost suggested we bring a vial of tears out in case either of you were injured._

 _It's alright, Peridot. I think he might make it out still._

This fusion could still feel the uncertainty between the two and she held herself tight.

"They – I – We need this," she finally said. "I think we need to stay this way for a little bit. There's so much guilt and hurt … We needed to do this."

Amethyst's face fell. She had been trying to be the humorous one and keep the mood light, but it was true. There was still so much pain that they needed to work through. She watched as Greg walked over to the fusion.

"Hey. None of you need to feel any guilt. It is a miracle any of you survived! I'm so happy that you did. And if Steven is regenerating, then he'll need all of you there for him when he returns!" Greg said, trying to lift everyone's spirits.

If it had been years ago, Pearl would have scoffed at Greg. After all, back then she couldn't believe that a human could know anything. Now though, Pearl smiled at Greg and approached him, setting a hand on his shoulder.

"You're right, Greg," she smiled. "He's going to come back and he's going to need our help … especially if he's going to try and help us heal our allies."

"So, you came to a decision then?" Greg asked.

"Yes," Garnet started. "If Steven comes out in the next two weeks, we'll see if he can heal any of the shattered gems. If he can, then we'll have our allies back … and maybe the enemy gems will be on our side as well if we heal them. Steven seems to have amazing power in that respect. If he doesn't return, then we will need to start harvesting soon. We'll start with the Homeworld forces that were shattered. Then move to those that gave their lives for the earth. They would most likely rather power something that would protect the cause they fought for than a state of separation for an eternity … We're holding out hope though."

Greg smiled and then gasped at the memory.

"Oh! Onion has a gem with him! Maybe we can convince him to give her to you to see if she'll regenerate! She was one who wasn't shattered in the battle. You might still have an ally!"

Pearl and Amethyst stared at Greg. Garnet shuddered.

"Wait?" The new fusion asked. "Onion has a gem with him? And it hasn't regenerated?"

 _Is that bad?_

 _If it's the type of gem that I think it is, it's extremely bad …_

Onion sat on his doorstep. Sour Cream was supposed to be back with his dad soon and he wanted to show off his new prize. It was currently inside on his bed, resting calmly. He had left it there because he kept getting strange feelings from the gem. The other night, he even had a dream of taking the gem to the beach and receiving a new friend. It troubled him how forceful this gem was in the dream so he left it inside. The pull still called to him. He had to wait though. He didn't want to listen to this gem. After all, it had attacked him.

He eventually decided to try and walk away from the house, trying to escape the pull from the gem. He could hear soft setar music drift towards him as he walked brusquely away from the house. He tried to focus on something else. Anything else.

" _Hey, Steven, is it alright if Onion sits in on a training session? Mom can't watch him today and he's been banned from Funland Arcade ever since he was caught prying open the ticket machine."_

 _Steven looked to Connie and Pearl uneasily._

" _Of course!" Pearl exclaimed. "Perhaps you can show him just how well you've all been doing!"_

 _The training sessions had been a regular thing, ever since the "Cool Kids" had seen Connie and Steven take down a Calcite that had been rampaging near Dead Man's Mouth. They soon learned just what Steven's "magical destiny" was and decided to help their friend as well. All three had found something exciting and new in these training sessions. Something different that they could do together. Something much more fulfilling to them than what their parents wanted them to do. Even though they were adults now, they still worried about the disapproval of their parents. Pearl was glad that Steven had been influenced by them while he was growing up. He could have done much worse in terms of older, human friends._

 _Onion was still a quiet kid, eager to follow Steven around, much to his chagrin. He was still a little creeped out by the kid, but he tried to not say anything to anyone about it. Connie thought it was cute, that someone looked up to him so much. Steven was still sure that Onion wasn't completely human._

 _The training session began with a sparring match against each other. Onion watched, fascinated, by Steven's movements as he was paired with Connie. The practice swords ensured that no one would be injured by anyone, something Pearl had to promise Priyanka about after the incident at the hospital. These sparring sessions would usually involve Steven and Connie sparring against their older friends as they learned to work together._

 _Onion wanted to join in with them. He was content to sit and watch, for now._

 _Soon, it was time for training against holopearls. The three young adults were matched up against some lower level holograms, having only started their lessons recently. It would take them a long time before they would be anywhere near as proficient as Connie._

 _Connie and Steven were matched up against seven much more aggressive holopearls. They fought bravely against all of them. Onion watched as they knocked the sword away from one before poofing it. The sword skittered towards Onion. He picked it up and examined it. It was real._

 _He looked back up at Connie and Steven as they faced the remaining three holopearls. They spun and Connie swiped at one while Steven deflected a blow. The third one turned to flank them._

 _They could get hurt!_

 _Onion didn't think before running at the pearl with the sword held out._

 _Poof!_

 _Pearl stopped all holograms immediately and ran out to her students. All eyes were on Onion as he held the sword up, eyes screwed shut._

 _The holopearl's sword had clattered to the ground._

 _He opened his eyes to see everyone staring at him._

" _Onion! You could have gotten hurt, bro! Mom would have killed us!" Sour Cream exclaimed._

 _Onion looked at the sword and then at Steven and Connie. The pair stared at him amazed before Steven let his shield de-materialize._

" _SavedyouSteven!" He smiled, finally, lowering his sword. "Thatwasreallyscarybutreallyfun! Iwanttotry!"_

 _Pearl breathed a sigh of relief before gently ruffling Onion's hair._

" _Maybe when you're older, Onion. Your mother would not be happy if both of her sons were risking their lives."_

 _Onion pouted and then gripped onto the sword's handle tighter._

" _No! Trainme!"_

 _It took several weeks of Onion forcing his way into training sessions (occasionally egged on and assisted by Amethyst who just wanted to give Pearl a hard time), but eventually, Onion was allowed to spar with the gems. He was almost as dedicated to Steven as Pearl had been to Rose._

 _And that frightened Steven._

The setar music cut through the memory. This time, it was almost deafening. Onion looked up and saw he was back in front of his house.

He ran inside and grabbed the gem. He wrapped it in a sock and shoved it in his pocket. The music was painful and barely muffled by the fabric. He had to get it out of the house. Everyone would hear it and they might take it away from him!

He wasn't sure where to go with the gem. He needed to get it away. He could only hear and feel the setar music now.

Soon, he found himself at the edge of the beach. The setar music was getting louder.

He pulled the green gem out of his pocket and unwrapped it, staring into it.

He lifted it over his head.

 _I guess we can watch something while we're waiting for them to get back._

 _What would you like to watch?_

 _I don't know. Anything but that Sad Food Pals show or whatever it is._

 _Oh my god, right? I love Steven to death but that show is horrible!_

The fusion smirked as she sat on the bed, her legs curled up so she could fit. Lion still lay next to her, the faint stripes in his fur fading and returning occasionally. The fusion enjoyed the sensations she got from Peridot and Connie. The warm friendship and reassurances. She could get memories from both of them of the other fusions they had been part of. The feeling was definitely different from Stevonnie, Aventurine, Fluorite, or Lepidachrosite, but it was a nice feeling, nonetheless. She wondered how she was possible as she searched what she knew about being a gem. Connie should not have been able to fuse with Peridot.

She was happy that she did though. And she wanted to keep existing.

 _So, how is this possible?_

 _I'm not sure. Gems can fuse by merging their light forms together to become one being. Humans shouldn't be able to do that at all, but Steven was able to fuse with you. He tried to fuse with me once, but it didn't work out as well and wasn't as stable. His fusion with Garnet was better, but I think it was because she just exudes safety and comfort. But we should not have been able to fuse at all._

 _It's nice though._

 _Yeah. I feel better, honestly._

 _Me too. It's been a terrible month._

 _Yeah._

The fusion finally found a station and smiled when she saw what was playing. It was the live action film adaptation of "Unfamiliar Familiar", a movie that both Peridot and Connie bonded over, especially after Connie read the book to Peridot during her first, impromptu sleepover at the beach house. Steven had been watching them from the loft bedroom as Connie read to Peridot on the couch. The three of them had gone to see the movie when it was released and, even though it took liberties, it was one of their favorites.

 _So, is it love that you feel then?_

 _Yeah. I didn't tell him._

 _You will._

 _I know. I want to._

 _I think he loves you too._

 _I know._

 _It's torture isn't it?_

 _The worst!_

The two of them were soon wondering who they should be. This fusion was obviously stable, able to exist without the need for combat. Garnet had called them Unakite, and they did enjoy that more than Connidot or Peronnie. She chuckled at the thought of it. She wondered again how she could exist.

 _You know, you do feel a little like Steven did when we tried to fuse._

 _Yeah?_

 _I wonder if it has to do with you fusing with him so often. Maybe there's some energy being left behind from him._

 _Maybe … So, it's making me half gem too?_

 _I don't know._

She sat in silence again, watching the movie. The two who made up her fusion were about to talk again when they heard a loud bang outside the beach house. She sprang to the window and looked outside . Connie had heard Steven talk about something like this happening after they first met. It was after he first met his lion and he had called her excitedly. She had worried that this was the gem. When Steven was first working with corrupted gems, this was the most unpredictable. Sometimes, she would be cooperative and helpful with creating walls to block any blasts or launching sand built projectiles. Other times, she would not cooperate at all and would instead turn on the Crystal Gems. She was always the last resort and had only been released when it seemed she needed to help during that fateful battle on the beach.

"It's her," Unakite whispered.

They thought all of their allies had been shattered.

Not that she completely counted as an ally.

The fusion leaped out of the window, not noticing the sudden awakening of the glowing eyed Lion behind them.


	9. Sand Castles

A/N: A little bit of a shorter chapter here, but this chapter had to end the way it does ... because I'm evil.

Thank you for the reviews! This is actually one of my favorite enemies from the show, mostly because of her musical motif (and Lion's towards the end of the episode). I'm also tying up one major plot thing for this part of the story, but that doesn't mean it's over ... Oh no, the next part will begin after the next chapter.

There might be a little bit of a hiatus after the next chapter, but I'll also be working on my shorter story that will have the working title of "Clouds". Again, it will make this look like a romantic comedy, so there's that.

Feel free to leave a review! I'll try to get the next chapter up soon so that you don't have to wait forever.

-FourFaces

She could feel the salty air. She knew she was close.

He had been so obedient. He didn't even know how well she had manipulated him. She was sure of this.

She and that Rose Quartz Gem had been traitors together, but she never truly cared for the earth other than the wonderful resources that she could control.

She had been locked away in that pillow for 5000 years, guarded by that beast for the last few years of her imprisonment. Yes, the weapon had been used on her, but she used it to her advantage. When the new bearer of the Rose Quartz Gem had come to her, she played on his emotions, using her charm to get him to believe her. That she was only a victim. That she was fragile … as glass.

She could have been a diamond. She could have ruled this planet.

She would now be able to rebuild her castle. She could rebuild her army.

She would finally win.

"Mom!" Sour Cream yelled as he ran into the house. He had somehow outran the gems and arrived first, worried for his brother in the hands of some gem monster. "Are you here?"

Vidalia came out of the kitchen and saw her worried son. She smiled and hugged him.

"Oh, I'm so glad you're home and that you missed that battle! Is your dad on his way?"

"Yeah. But where's Onion?" Sour Cream asked.

"Oh, he left about ten minutes ago. He seemed really upset," She started. "I think he was going to go to the Temple and try to check on … wait, have you heard about - ?"

"Oh no … Mom, when Onion left, did he - ?"

Garnet burst in the door and looked around.

"We're too late. He's already near the beach by now. I was worried this would happen," she growled. "I'm assuming he had a gem with him?"

"Yeah. It was the one he got during the battle," Vidalia confirmed.

Garnet broke into a run, tearing past Pearl and Amethyst who had just arrived at the house behind her.

 _Why didn't I know this would happen?_

 _It's OK._

 _No, it's not! We were too focused on what could happen with Steven and we missed this! We should have made sure that every gem was truly accounted for! Now she could be loose again and she could destroy the entire city!_

 _We'll get to her before she can. We can do this._

 _Last time, we had Steven._

Garnet nearly stopped mid-run at that. She could feel both of her halves trying to calm her down now. It was almost like times when she would watch Steven as a young child. He would get so upset and work himself into a tizzy, but Garnet would soothe him. Now, Ruby and Sapphire were trying to do this for her so she could focus and stop Onion before it was too late.

The sound of setar music began to fill her ears. She knew she was getting close to Onion.

She was 1000 feet away when she saw him standing there at the edge of the beach, loud setar music ringing in her ears.

500 feet away when he lifted the gem into the air.

100 feet away and it was too late.

The gem sailed through the air before landing on the sand. Garnet remembered when she had first encountered her with Steven. She remembered how this gem was first and foremost a builder.

She also remembered how this gem was on the battlefield. She had used her powers of earth manipulation for some horrible shatterings. If they weren't careful, they could feel her corrupted wrath. Even with the corruption, she had always been powerful.

She looked over at Onion for a split second and saw the look of confusion and anguish come over his face.

She turned back and looked out as the sand as the ground shook.

Walls went up and soon, several mounds of sand arose, forming humanoid shapes. These sand clones stared ahead with blank faces. The sand whirled around, forming towers and staircases, protecting the gem at its center.

Garnet was soon joined by Amethyst and Pearl who gasped up at the tower. The three gaped up at the monstrosity, not paying attention to the sand clones that now held spears made of sand.

They only saw the gem as she formed a body around herself. Her form was tall and slender, the gem placed where her eyes would have been She stretched out her arms and the gems could all feel her excitement as she examined her physical form. She stared down at them with her gem and they could feel her formless face grin.

There was a reason they did not like the idea of letting her out of her bubble.

The clones took one step forward.

"Garnet? What do we do?" Amethyst asked.

She glanced around. There was a chance that they might have enough of a distraction to take on the Desert Glass herself. If both of the best possible outcomes occurred, then they would easily win. If they didn't …

"Pearl! Amethyst! Go after the Desert Glass! I'll meet you if I'm able to!" Garnet said, charging towards the Desert Glass's newly created soldiers.

Amethyst and Pearl summoned their weapons and headed into the maze like storm, searching for a way to reach the Desert Glass. They leaped over a newly forming wall only to find another spring up in front of it.

"We're trapped, P!" Amethyst cried out.

Pearl looked around for any way out. She watched as a sandy beam formed above them.

"Your whip!" She cried to Amethyst.

The quartz grabbed her companion and cracked her whip around the beam, pulling them up.

Garnet had taken down so many of these soldiers. She knew that they would outnumber her soon. She could feel the sand beating her in the face as the wind whipped up. She wouldn't be able to do this forever.

"YAAAH!"

She looked over to see Unakite, wielding Rose's sword and slashing through the sand clones. She smiled. She was happy to see the fusion working just as well on the battle ground as when she was at peace.

They might win this.

Unakite summoned a bomb from her gem and tossed it into the air before striking it at a cluster of sand clones with her sword, making them explode. She then ran to join Garnet.

"There are so many of them? Will we be able to hold them off?" Unakite asked.

"We need to. There's a chance that we might win this and now that you're here, the chances got better," Garnet grinned. "But we still need the other possible future to line up ..."

Pink grass whipped around as Lion dragged Steven towards an opening to the outside world. Steven was dizzy from seeing the blades whip past him, but he had to push on.

"We're almost there. I need to get you where this will work, so you won't be able to leave quite yet," Lion said as he stopped in the middle of the savanna. "I must leave now, but I will see you on the other side. Be ready."

He disappeared, leaving Steven alone. He waited for what felt like an eternity. He looked about himself to make sure everything was OK. He had taken the Mr. Universe shirt that hung from the tree. It was a little big on him still, but it was better than his bloodstained shirt. He wondered if Lion would be able to get them where they needed to go. He wondered who it was that they were fighting outside. Was it Jasper? Had she returned? Was he going to return to a bloodbath?

He felt a warm glow and looked down at his gem as it glowed brightly. He could feel his whole body turn to light, as if he was on a warp pad.

Then came the memories.

 _10,000 years ago -_

 _Having existed for 1000 years and proving herself in battle against a strange enemy force (one that Steven didn't recognize), the young quartz gem watched as the test subject for the experimental weapon charged at Pink Diamond. The experiment had indeed forced the subject to retreat into her gem, but when she regenerated, her entire form was changed. She was feral and monstrous. The quartz gem did not have time to react. She charged forward and felt the claws rip through her as she protected Pink Diamond with her body. She awakened to an honored position as the second in command._

 _7000 years ago -_

 _She had risen in the ranks to Diamond after the previous Pink Diamond was shattered in a battle that she had been on too far away of a colony to warp to. Now she was in charge of colonizing new worlds and setting up kindergartens. At first, this world seemed to meet all of the requirements. Basic life that could provide energy for growing gems, large enough to support their infrastructure, and it has to be far enough away from the enemy colonies._

 _She had traveled with her Pearl to an area outside of the planned site for a southern kindergarten when she saw a creature that she hadn't seen yet in her travels. It was large, golden, and had thick hair on its head that flowed down its back. It stared at them before charging._

 _She didn't act fast enough and soon was on her back, the creature tearing at her as her Pearl wailed, having been frozen in fear. Another voice, much deeper, joined them and the creature was off of her. Before she retreated into her gem, she saw the new creature's dark, sad face look at her. It was so much like a gem, but it was made of flesh instead of light._

 _When she awakened, she began to learn more about this planet and begin to regret her work._

 _3000 years ago -_

 _She had renounced her title over 2000 years prior. She had seen all but three of her friends (or was it two now that the war was over) either shatter or fall to the weapon that she had overseen the creation of and it had almost broken her spirit. She had found the last remaining amethyst in the main kindergarten, having emerged so much later than all the others. The amethyst was still somewhat feral, not knowing how to be a proper gem, so she would need guidance. She had been left home during most missions. This one was no exception._

 _Pearl had been away, and she was happy that she was. She needed to take on the Larimar by herself. She had known her before the war. She was an enjoyable gem to be around and she was always so confident. Now, she swung her hook-like tentacles at her former commander. If she could just get closer, maybe she could hold her and heal her._

 _A stabbing pain stopped her and she knew she was going to retreat soon. She stared at the large eyes of the Larimar and wondered if she was still in there at all._

 _The last thing she saw before regenerating was Garnet protecting her as Pearl chased after the gem._

 _20 years ago -_

 _It had been so long since any regeneration, and now she was going to be doing a different kind. It was frightening, to not know if she would ever come back as herself. Much like Garnet had told her, fusion was an experience and in a way, that was what this was. A fusion made of the love between herself and Greg. She kept her eyes trained on Greg as she felt the change beginning. She hoped that they would like him. She had consulted with Garnet several times on what her son might look like (Garnet was certain she would have a son), and she had even formed Cuprite with her to be able to see a glimpse of her son's life. After that, she had formed him many times in her room in the temple to be able to interact with him in some way. She was so excited for him and hoped that the best outcomes would happen for him._

 _She could feel her gem glow. It was time._

 _She retreated for one final time, surrounded by her three closest friends and the love of her life._

A bright glow after his mother's final retreat enveloped him and soon he watched the final moments before he had passed out. He could see the fear on Connie's face and the pain in everyone's eyes. He watched the world go dark and could feel the ghost of Connie's lips on his.

Another blinding glow surrounded him. He saw ahead and knew what he must do.

Greg, Yellowtail, and Sour Cream had arrived to see the whirling sandstorm on the beach, Onion curled up in a ball crying at the edge. Yellowtail wordlessly helped him up and held him close, shielding him from witnessing the aftermath of his decision. Sour Cream stared, wishing he had been here instead of Onion during the original battle. Then he could have spared Onion from all of this.

Greg watched in horror, occasionally getting glimpses of the battle. He hoped that maybe something would turn the tide in the Gems' favor.

Unakite slashed her way to Garnet, felling sand clone after sand clone. She could feel both parts of her worry for each other as she pushed on. Finally, after reaching Garnet, she turned to survey the beach.

Walls had been built up and torn down in a frantic bid to create a castle on the beach. More clones reformed and began to surround the two fusions.

"What do we do, Garnet?" She asked.

It wasn't right. They were supposed to win this one!

 _That means it won't happen!_

 _You don't know that for sure! There are so many futures!_

 _I don't know what we should do-_

A familiar scream cut through her thoughts and Unakite froze.

"Pearl!" she cried out.

Before Garnet could stop her, the fusion was bounding up the walls towards the Desert Glass.

Pearl and Amethyst had been trapped between four walls of sand. Pearl held onto Amethyst tightly, shielding her with her body as Desert Glass began to pour in sand on top of them. She silently stared at the two gems, not seeming to notice the fusion that had leaped into the air, sword held high, aiming for her.

Pearl looked up to see Unakite preparing to bring her sword down on Desert Glass. They could be saved!

Desert Glass held out one arm and a jet of sand smashed the fusion against a wall that sprang up. Unakite scrambled onto the wall, grabbing blindly for a handhold, finally finding it and holding on for dear life. Garnet bounded up next and was equally dispatched. They could feel the pain and confusion emanating from the gem as she looked at her prisoners, pressing the sand onto them. Were they her allies? She had been trapped for thousands of years on that pillow after the corruption … and Rose never agreed with her tactics ...

The pain turned to anger and she continued her trapping of the gems.

Garnet struggled to look over at Unakite who was now gasping for breath as the sand pressed hard, constricting her chest. She shuddered, thinking of the fact that Unakite was almost as vulnerable as Connie because of her human side. If she couldn't get freed soon, she could suffocate and split apart. Connie would be dead and Peridot's gem could be lost forever. Desert Glass needed to be taken down soon, but not even Garnet was able to move out of her grasp.

"ROAR!"

Desert Glass jerked her head up to see someone she had not seen for a decade. He had been absent during each of the training sessions with her (he never trusted her) and she wavered in her control of the sand, freeing Unakite to gasp for a big breath of air. This was the opening that was needed as the pink blur pushed her to the edge of her tower.

"Lion!" Unakite cried out, still holding onto the wall.

He kept his focus on the Desert Glass who continued to shoot jets of sand, trying to keep a barrier between herself and the enraged big cat. He snarled and leaped at her, missing by a fraction of a second as she dodged him.

He turned to Garnet and nodded. As soon as he leaped at the gem again, Garnet's trap was lifted, the distraction provided, and Garnet leaped to Unakite, helping her to the ground before returning to dig Amethyst and Pearl out of their trap. After being rescued, the group of gems watched as Lion fought the gem, swiping at her and roaring. Finally, he charged her, knocking her off of the tower and to the ground. He watched from the top and closed his eyes. It was time.

The gems were too in shock, watching as Lion's mane glowed. Unakite gasped as they watched a bright light escape Lion's mane before forming a mannequin figure with a familiar pink gem on it's abdomen. Pearl gasped, watching the light take shapes that she had not seen in 10,000 years … 7000 years … 3000 … 20 …

The three Crystal Gems feared that this would be the final form that the light would take as it glowed bright once more, too bright to see the final form, before a pink shield erupted from the light, smacking into the Desert Glass and poofing her, destroying her sand castle for good.


	10. Moonlight and The Future

A/N: Here we are! The end of part one!

I'm so glad that you all like this one (and I hope that this chapter lives up to the last one)! It really made my week reading the reviews!

I also have started on the other fic, party as warm-up for this one and partly because my knee finally gave out completely (most likely my meniscus is buckled, but we will know after we go to a specialist) and since I now have a three day weekend where I can't do anything, I figured "why not write?".

Also, there are a couple major things that happen in this chapter. They may not seem major now (or they might), but they will be.

Thank you again for the favorites and reviews and I will hopefully have the next chapter up soonish! Clouds will be up this weekend for certain.

-FourFaces

The blinding light dimmed, revealing to the Crystal Gems the final form that had left Lion's mane. Lion purred and rubbed up against Unakite, proud and reassuring. There wasn't any movement from anyone else on the beach.

Awareness came slowly. It was like waking up from a dream after the shield was summoned.

He knew he had thrown his shield. He knew he had made that conscious decision. It had all moved in slow motion, his shield being summoned and flying at the gem. He had only seen her physical form a couple times, but he knew who he was fighting. He knew that it was not Yellow Diamond and that there was a chance that everyone would be alright.

As the glow faded from around him, he felt the adrenaline rush leave him. He fell to his knees and caught his breath. Save for the sand returning to the ground, there was silence around him. He looked up to see the dust clear, revealing the gems and Lion there. Garnet was grinning from ear to ear, Amethyst's mouth hung open. Pearl had tears forming in the corners of her eyes as she smiled. He looked next to them, expecting to see Connie or Peridot and instead saw a strange gem staring at him with disbelief. Her skin was a mottled green and reddish brown. A single gem was in the center of her forehead. She looked familiar and strange at the same time. The tears that formed in her eyes let him know that somehow she knew him and he should have known her, but somehow he wasn't sure how he knew her. Steven rose to his feet, and stared at this new gem.

She placed and hand to her mouth, choking back a sob. Steven was standing there, right in front of her. Yes, his hair was longer, he was sporting the start of a goatee, and he wasn't wearing his trademark shirt, but it was him. He was alive.

"Steven?" The gem asked in a voice that pierced his heart. She sounded so similar. _Just like … but that's impossible!_

"C-Connie? Peridot?" He asked. There was no way that they could have been able to fuse with Connie being a human, but there was the evidence right there. He thought back to a question he had asked Garnet, gripped with fear for the future. _Does that mean …?_

The gem's form shuddered and popped, leaving Connie and Peridot sitting on the ground. Connie rose to her feet, Peridot assisting her. She stared at Steven before walking to him, as if in a trance. When she reached him, she gently grabbed his hand.

For a moment, it was as if no one else was on the beach. They stared at each other for a moment, Connie slowly reaching her free hand up to touch his cheek. She was hesitant, worried that he would disappear the moment she touched him. That he would disappear like he had in one of her dreams.

Steven smiled, gently placing his free hand on the hand that touched his cheek. Tears began to form again in Connie's eyes and she sobbed, laughed, and hugged him tightly, Steven returning the embrace.

The energy from fusion and a successful battle wore off quickly and Connie was soon, wobbling, starting to fall to her knees. Steven helped her down, kneeling with her, still holding her close. Connie sobbed into his shoulder, happy that he was alive and letting all of her emotions flow out.

"Steven ..." Connie whispered, pressing his face into his hair. "I was so worried. I wasn't sure if you would ever come back ..."

"It's alright, Connie … I'm here," he smiled back, holding her tightly.

She sniffled and then looked up at him. He smiled and stroked her hair softly. They could talk now, if she wanted to. They pressed their foreheads together, both of them blushing furiously. She looked up into his eyes.

"Steven ..." She began.

"Connie, I ..."

"I've wanted to tell you for so long."

"I should have said something sooner ..."

Connie bridged the gap, kissing Steven gently. He deepened the kiss, running his fingers through her hair. When they pulled apart, Connie looked into Steven's eyes and then hugged him tightly again.

"You're real … You're here and you're real ..."

"I'm never leaving you, I promise," he whispered.

Amethyst started to move towards the couple before Garnet placed her hand on her shoulder.

"Give them some time alone," she smiled. "They need this right now. There will be a lot to do in the coming weeks."

As the gems worked to make sure the area was secure and that Desert Glass was safely bubbled away and Connie began to fill Steven in on the battle, Greg stood watching his son. A part of him wanted to run to his son and lift him up, just happy that he was still alive. He stayed back, however, not wanting to intrude on his son's moment with his childhood friend.

He turned to see Sour Cream, comforting Onion, showing him that Steven was back. Onion refused to look at Steven, whimpering something to Sour Cream. He was certain that Onion was ashamed or upset. He walked up to them and put a hand on Onion's shoulder.

"Hey bud, you didn't know that would happen. It's alright. And Steven did the same thing when he was younger too ..."

Onion shook his head and curled up tighter. Greg looked up at Sour Cream, apologetically, then turned back to see Connie and Steven walking over, an arm wrapped around each other for support. Steven smiled, placing a hand on Greg's shoulder when the pair reached him.

"Hey Schtu-ball," Greg smiled. "I knew you could do it."

Steven smiled back and hugged his father tight. He then turned his attention to Onion who was still curled up on himself.

"Hey Onion," he smiled. "I heard you poofed her all by yourself in the battle. That's way awesome!

Onion looked up at Steven. Tears ran down his cheeks, but he wiped them away with his sleeve. He stared, silently, at Steven before hugging him tightly, mumbling apologies and regrets to him. Steven hugged him back, just happy that one of his human friends that had found himself in the battle was alright.

Greg smiled at Connie. "So, I guess things will be alright for now?"

"Yeah ..." she smiled, "I think so ..."

After the beach had been cleaned up and Greg and the other humans were headed home after their reunion, the group made their way back to the temple, Connie and Steven occasionally brushing hands. They were blushing furiously and finally Connie grabbed Steven's hand, intertwining her fingers with his. There would be a lot to talk about soon. Steven gently squeezed her hand and smiled at her.

"So, Pierogi, what do we do now?" Amethyst finally asked, breaking the silence as they arrived at the door.

"Well, we should take some time to recuperate. This has been a very long day and we should probably talk about what to do next tomorrow," Pearl stated, gently placing a hand on her shoulder while opening the door with her free hand.

Garnet stayed back, watching as everyone filed into the temple. She was proud and worried at the same time. Most of the more positive outcomes had happened, but there was still the worry of healing the shattered gems. If Steven were to succeed, they could win the next battle against Homeworld and not have to worry about using them for weapons. Maybe Steven would even win over the former Homeworld Army that had been shattered on the beach.

There was also the very real possibility that nothing would happen. That Steven would lose faith in his healing power and that they would have to concede to using gem shards to power weapons.

Lapis and Chrysoprase would still be safe. That was part of the deal. Maybe they would find a better way to put them to rest if it didn't work.

She wanted to come apart for a moment, to not have to think about anything. Ruby and Sapphire held her together, however, and she pushed forward, walking in to find Steven and Connie on the couch, Connie's head resting on Steven's shoulder, his hand gently stroking her hair. It warmed her heart to see the two of them finally admitting their feelings for each other. She could sense something about Connie that made the moment even better.

Her energy was not too far off from Steven's. She was no longer radiating the energy of a regular human. There was something different about her. Something that excited Garnet and frightened her at the same time.

Gems weren't drawn to fight humans. Only other gems and any other race that was as advanced as they were put out an energy that gems would be drawn to and recognize as a friend or foe. When the battle on the beach had occurred, she had secretly known that their human allies would be safe, as long as they stayed out of the way of any flying debris. The gems wouldn't even recognize them as anything more than an ant. They wouldn't think to attack humans. The energy signature for humans was too foreign. Too different. It barely would register to a gem in the heat of battle.

Connie was not giving off that energy anymore.

She wasn't sure how long Connie would be safe.

After making a meal for Steven and Connie (and eventually Amethyst), Pearl went to retreat to her room and was stopped by a small hand grabbing hers. She turned to see Peridot, blushing green.

"You can stay out her a little longer, Pearl," she smiled. "Amethyst will be done with the pasta soon and then we can all go in."

Pearl smiled and kissed Peridot's forehead.

"I just needed to check on something. I'll be out soon."

Peridot watched as she disappeared into her room and sighed. She returned to sit next to Amethyst, absentmindedly stroking her hair. She looked over to see Garnet watching Connie intently. Her thoughts of a night with Amethyst and Pearl were suddenly erased by the curiosity of Garnet's stare.

She thought about following her into the Burning Room and interrogating her. The fusion knew the future and the way she was staring at her friend worried her a little.

She didn't have time to actually go into the room after Garnet when she left, as she was soon hoisted up by Amethyst.

"Come on, Peri! Let's go to Pearl's room and bug her!" Amethyst chuckled, knowingly.

Peridot blushed and relented, allowing Amethyst to carry her away, leaving Connie and Steven alone on the couch.

"So … I've mostly been sleeping on your bed," Connie started.

"That's OK."

"I don't want to go home yet."

"I don't want you to … We've had sleepovers before ..."

"Yeah ..."

"I can sleep down here if ..."

"No. Let's just …" Connie blushed. She wasn't sure if she should say anything yet. It was too soon, but they were tired and it wasn't like anything could happen. "The bed's big enough. It held me and a lion for a month," she finally smiled, gently squeezing Steven's hand.

Steven blushed furiously and followed Connie up to the loft.

Garnet stood under the Crystal Heart of the temple. She wanted to talk to someone about what she had seen. It had disturbed her so much that she couldn't stay in the Burning Room any longer. She walked to the vein that would lead to Pearl's room and grabbed onto it, sliding her way up. A happier vision had let her know not to go into the beach house to use the regular temple door. She found her way up and saw Lepidachrosite sitting peacefully at the topmost water column. She had all six of her arms wrapped around herself and was grinning from ear to ear. Garnet smiled, her mind eased a little more, before she approached.

"Hello, Lepidachrosite," she began. The fusion turned to see her and laughed.

"Hi Garnet. I wasn't expecting you," she started.

"I wasn't expecting to see you either," she grinned. "I guess I was too busy with other visions."

"Oh?"

Garnet smiled. She had the insatiable curiosity of Peridot and this would definitely be an advantage. She sighed and sat down in front of the fusion.

"Connie feels different," she began.

"Yeah. Peridot noticed that when she fused with her. We've all started noticing it."

"It's not just a change in personality … It's -"

"A change in energy."

"Right."

Lepidachrosite sighed, resting her chin on one of her hands.

"You're worried about the next battle."

"Yes. She doesn't feel like a human anymore. Perhaps she's getting some of Steven's energy and will be stronger for it, but she's still physically a human … mostly. She can still die. And now that she emanates Rose Quartz energy -"

"Jasper's forces will destroy her."

"Possibly."

"Possibly?"

Garnet sighed and removed her visor. She looked up at Lepidachrosite with all three eyes.

"She might be valuable to Homeworld. Both her and Steven. If what I saw occurs, it won't just be Jasper's forces. It will be the entire Diamond Authority. Jasper may want to destroy them, but Blue Diamond and White Diamond will want to experiment on them. Turn them into weapons. I don't know what to do. Almost every outcome feels like this is certain. I can't let them fight, but I know it is useless to stop them."

The taller fusion gently set one of her pale hands on Garnet's shoulder and smiled sadly.

"Whatever happens, we'll be together," she smiled.

Garnet smiled sadly.

She had not told the fusion of the other part of her horrifying vision. She knew it would tear the fusion apart if she did.

The outcome was inevitable. Only one vision had shown a good outcome and it hinged on so many different things. One of them was fading in possibility.

Lepidachrosite could sense the sadness from her fellow fusion and gently wrapped her arms around her. The pair of fusions sat in silence, Garnet beginning to sob into Lepidachrosite's chest. Tomorrow would be the day that would determine the final outcome, but Garnet could not say anything.

She didn't want to.

"So, they need me to try and heal the gems?"

"Yeah ..."

"And if they don't heal ..."

"... Yeah."

Steven held Connie close as they lay on top of the covers on his bed. Connie rested her head on his chest before lightly peppering him with kisses. He stroked her hair absentmindedly. Moonlight streamed through the window, illuminating the pair as they lay together.

"So … You were able to fuse with Peridot."

"Yeah. It was strange. We didn't even expect it to happen. We're not sure why either. I think it has something to do with my fusing with you all the time," she said, stroking his chest softly. "I think somehow I've got some sort of gem energy in me or something."

Steven smiled and kissed the top of her head. He then chuckled and Connie playfully tickled him. After a moment, they lay in silence again.

"We should have done this sooner," Steven smiled. "I don't know why I never said anything."

Connie smiled and hugged Steven tightly. She looked up at him and pressed her lips against his. He kissed her back softly before she deepened the kiss and pulled herself up to look into his eyes.

A warm, pink glow washed over the pair. Soon, Stevonnie sat on the bed and wrapped their arms around themselves, smiling and listening to their components talk.

 _I've always loved you._

 _I've loved you since the day we met._

 _I don't ever want this moment to end._

Stevonnie grinned and closed their eyes. Tomorrow would be another day, but they would face it together now. They had fallen asleep before Garnet returned to the living room of the beach house, a pair of bubbles in her hands. She stared at the gems inside.

"Please return … for Steven ..."

 _A shard of a memory._

 _She was formerly a warrior. She remembered that._

 _No. Not a warrior. She wasn't strong enough for front lines, like a Jasper or an Amethyst. She was more ranged with her ability. Like a human archer, but her weapon came from within. She was like other cryptocrystalline silicates, more specialized than the crystaline quartzes. She was proud proud of her weapon, having been trained by her commander to handle it better than any others of her type._

 _She remembered staring out on the battlefield with her one eye, watching as Homeworld's forces began to retreat. She was certain that they won. Perhaps her commander could negotiate for the release of those who had been on her side. Those who were imprisoned by Homeworld and scattered about the earth. She especially wanted to see one gem in particular. One who had been a messenger who had not completely agreed with her commander, but still helped her army, hoping for a peaceful solution where she and the warrior could return home safely. The warrior felt confident in her commander. She knew that she would do anything for those who were in her army._

 _That was what she loved about this army. Her commander valued her, even though she was not perfect, her gem being in the wrong place for her type. She was perfect in her commander's eyes and that was all that she cared about._

 _She watched as one remaining Homeworld Pearl stayed behind. How odd that one would remain when everyone else was fleeing._

" _You are all traitors and abominations in the eyes of the Diamond Authority," The Pearl parroted. "This planet you have so vainly fought for will know you for what you all are! Enjoy this parting gift, courtesy of White Diamond herself!"_

 _The Pearl produced something from her gem. A cylindrical device that beeped and flashed._

 _She looked to her commander who paled. Her commander had no time to think but summoned her shield and looked at her._

" _Hurry! Come here!"_

 _She didn't understand. She couldn't stop staring at the device. She wondered what the Pearl meant, but she was gone before there could be an explanation._

 _The beeping accelerated and then rang steady before the explosion of light._

 _All of her inner pain from killing her own kind was manifested physically. She felt her body begin to dissolve and fought vainly to stay alive. She looked and saw her commander's horrified face._

 _She was a monster. She knew this to be true. She had killed her own kind. She had not done all she could to defend Earth. She had not fulfilled her main purpose. She should have known that this was some sort of timed weapon, that this might happen._

 _She retreated into her gem but couldn't remember herself as anything but a monster. When she reformed, that was what she was._

 _Now though, she had learned she was not a monster. Something was trying to rewrite her memories. Something within her was trying to remember. She was fragmented and in pain, but she could almost remember who she was._

 _And she could still remember Steven._


	11. Sapphires

A/N: Thank you for the kind reviews! I'm so glad that people are liking this!

I've started trying to do live writings on TitanPad. This latest one was worked on there. If you would like to come watch a stream, stay tuned to my tumblr for dates and times. I'll probably do another one this weekend for either this story or for Clouds. Follow my tumblr for updates on that!

This one starts the second part of our story (which might end up becoming a three-parter). I have been waffling back and forth on the descriptions of Homeworld because of who this chapter is in the point of view of. I almost want to save the wonder of it for a later (much later) chapter, but we'll see. I may end up editing this one again.

Enjoy and feel free to leave a review!

-FourFaces

The tourmaline spires of the Forum would have been breathtaking to behold to anyone else, but to Jasper, they were as mundane as an office building's walls. When she had arrived, Blue Diamond's Pearl had greeted her with a deep bow fitting for a Diamond. Jasper had simply growled and approached her place in the forum, listening to Blue and White Diamond discuss their next move.

It had been 14 cycles since she had awakened among Blue and White Diamond who had originally applauded her efforts on Earth before informing her that it seemed that the traitor's gem still lived. Jasper had growled and sworn up and down that she would make sure that the traitor faced justice for the crimes against Homeworld.

White Diamond was much younger than Blue Diamond, so she was eager to jump into another war. She had been a Clear Quartz, like her predecessor. She had only somewhat been informed about the war crimes that had been committed, knowing that this treachery had occurred during one of the worst periods during the Second War. Because of the focus on Earth (and the loss of the previous White Diamond), they had lost three other colonies to their enemy. A probe had confirmed that none of the gems survived and the planets were completely unsuitable for gem colonization anymore.

They could not understand why Rose Quartz had so willingly given up her mantle as a Diamond and fought for the former colony at the expense of her own people. The life force of the planet was perfect for gem creation and the life forms were insignificant, at best. They barely registered as sentient according to the gems, so when Rose protected them so strongly, it made some gems on Homeworld begin to doubt their leadership.

News from the war had been highly censored. Lapis Lazuli's traitorous message to Blue Diamond ended with the gem being placed into a mirror as punishment and an end to using gems as messengers.

Most Lapis Lazulis had been harvested and repurposed after that. Those that weren't had their functions reprogrammed and were no more than entertainers for Homeworld theatres.

Blue Diamond had been involved in the war more intimately, having come to power after the previous Blue Diamond, a Blue Quartz, had disappeared on Earth early in the war for the planet. There were rumors as to what caused her disappearance, but the rise of her second in command, a Blue Lace Agate, had drawn focus away. She fought fiercely for Homeworld, much more fiercely than her predecessor had, and was the one who championed the removal of Pink Diamond from the Diamond Authority altogether. It was one thing that she and the last Yellow Diamond had agreed on.

She did not mourn the loss of the Citrine as much as White Diamond had. She had been around for much longer and had seen gems rise and fall. She could not mourn for someone who had died gloriously in battle.

Regardless, she was cautious about going headlong into another full-on war with Earth. Yes, the report that most of the army had been shattered and only a human and four gems remained as the resistance made it seem like this would be an easy victory, but a consultation with her cloister of Sapphires had made Blue Diamond uneasy. They had been the ones to tell her of the regeneration of the Rose Quartz gem. They also gave her troubling news about the so-called human that fought alongside the gems.

This was why Homeworld was even more strict about fusion. When gems of different types fused, they learned more about the other caste and began to question the system altogether. This could lead to a collapse in leadership and the destruction of gem civilization altogether.

It was much easier if it was gems fusing with the same gems for battle or to enhance their abilities. There was no discussion of the caste system that way and it helped build loyalty within gem types. Blue Diamond was at least a proponent of that type of fusion, as was every Blue Diamond before her. She was in charge of perfecting fusion techniques after Jasper's report, much to the rest of the Authority's dismay.

"How do we know that it's true?" White Diamond had asked, her Pearl at her side. "Sapphires can only deal in probablility. It could not have been one hundred percent certain. If we don't go now, we may miss our chance to take back one of our best Quartz colonies."

"I allowed my cloister of Sapphires to fuse for this," Blue Diamond admitted. "I wanted to be certain before we do anything brash. If this is true and Rose Quartz lives, then we may not be able to go into this second war as easily as we thought."

Jasper grumbled. It was still hard for her to get them to treat her as Yellow Diamond and a part of her almost did not want to accept the title. Not until Rose's gem was truly shattered.

She had lost her identity for so long thanks to Rose. She had witnessed her comrades fall to her berserker pearl (What a horrible defect on a servant class gem!). She was horrified to know how little Rose seemed to care for the life of her own people outside of those on Earth. She had gone mad with passion for the planet and that would be the downfall of her entire species.

Jasper had known another, younger Jasper that lived on one of the colonies that had been overrun. They had been companions in battle before she had been moved to Earth to fight the supposed skirmish that turned into a full blown war. When she returned and learned of the Jasper's death, she howled in anguish. The Jasper had not been crushed or shattered. She had been assimilated into ...

She could not think of that now. It would only serve to enrage her more and this was not a time for rage but for careful planning. Her thoughts turned to the Rose Quartz gem again.

She could not understand why Rose had chosen such a weak form now. She had obviously regenerated, but she was so weak. The only purpose to regenerate would be to grow stronger and learn from your mistakes. Now she was some weak, fleshy being. Not quite human and not quite gem.

And Lapis had kept calling the creature "Steven" instead of Rose.

She grinned, remembering shattering that gem. She hated Lapis with a burning passion. Being trapped under the ocean in that horrible fusion had almost driven her insane. She had lost her sense of self and believed there was no way out. When she had found the opportunity to flee, she took it. It might have been cowardly at the time, but she knew that if she got to Homeworld, she could prove useful and get her revenge.

When she had found a functioning warp and leaped out, mid-stream, to one that led off-Earth, she was finally happy for the first time in years. She did not care that she could have damaged her gem beyond repair by traveling this way. She was going to have her revenge on Rose Quartz and her army. She was going to crush them all.

"The Aquamarine Kindergarten on the top Beryl producing colony will be at risk if we go now," Blue Diamond continued. "We would have to search for a new colony again and we would be one step closer to the war being brought here again. It has been 20,000 years since any of the gems here have been in combat against them. We don't want to risk everything for a planet that already has been lost."

"But it hasn't been lost," Jasper finally interjected. "Even if Rose Quartz is alive again, there is no way she regenerated into her proper form. She regenerated to a weaker form and cannot go back. It's impossible! And the human that was there was even weaker. There was barely a gem energy signature on her. She would be easy to crush!"

Blue Diamond paused in her thought and looked at Jasper.

"The human has a gem energy signature?"

"Yes. It is incredibly weak, but it was there. It attracted several of Citrine's forces and led to their shattering."

Blue Diamond was, by nature, the researcher. She was curious about Rose Quartz' latest regeneration anyway, but this news intrigued her even more. If it was true, then her Sapphires were more accurate than she had thought.

Was this a human that had been turned into a Kindergarten? If so, then Rose Quartz' army had become desperate and turned on the very creatures they were protecting (and this would make her army even more monstrous than the Diamond Authority had previously believed).If that was not the source, then perhaps it had something to do with the vision of fusion that the Sapphire Cloister had told her about. Perhaps she could strike a deal with the gems on Earth.

The planet could be ignored if they give up the human for study. If she proved to be something that the Peridots that worked in gem development could replicate, then perhaps they would have a new weapon against their enemy. Something that they would barely be able to detect until it was too late.

In the chamber of the Sapphire Cloister, several of the Sapphires had gathered around one who held her head in her hands. The others kept watch for Blue Diamond.

"You must not keep this from them or us," one Sapphire chided.

"She is not one of our sisters anymore. She is as much of a traitor as the rest of them," another admonished.

"We saw the start of that vision. Why would you hide this from us?" Another asked.

The Sapphire on the ground continued to curl into a ball.

"You don't understand! She was one of our own! She still is! If we tell Blue Diamond, then she will be shattered, as will our sisterly bond with her. The pain will be too great!" The Sapphire cried out.

She watched vision after vision of this traitorous Sapphire shattering or being driven to madness as her companion's gem was ground to dust. She screamed, feeling the pain from that vision and seeing the pain in the other Sapphires. She had been a part of their cloister for only a few millenia, but it was long enough for the bond to still be there. She secretly enjoyed the feelings that she could occasionally feel from the Sapphire, even though she was light years away.

She wondered if that was the true future for Gemkind, but she refused to share this knowledge, even going into the fusion. She would be found out and punished and then the entire cloister would suffer.

Sapphires were one of the few gems that had not been severely punished for the actions of one of their own in the war. They were too valuable and difficult to replace. They were hard to come by in the Corrundum Kindergartens, being occasionally created after several Rubies had been formed. This rarity had led to Rubies being manufactured more frequently, burning out planets quicker because of the difficulty in making so many of them.

The Sapphire wondered if other Rubies were like this one. They had never seen one outside of visions.

This Sapphire never would.

Blue Diamond brought White Diamond and Jasper to the cloister and saw the Sapphire curled up on the floor, the others surrounding her.

"She is hiding information from us," one Sapphire accused.

"It is pertinent that she tells us all. It is for the greater good. She is a sympathizer," Another stated.

Blue Diamond looked down at the Sapphire. She knew that they were difficult to come by, but she could replace her more easily than another gem would have.

After all, Blue Diamond was in charge of Corrundum production in the first place.

It was too fast for anyone to react as the gem destabilizer was produced and struck the Sapphire, sending her into her gem with a shriek. Blue Diamond then motioned for her Pearl who lifted up the Sapphire.

"Take her to the factory. We can still use her shards to make another," she stated, coldly.

The Pearl complied and took the Sapphire away. The other Sapphires knew that they would feel the pain of the grinder, but it was for the greater good. They could not spare a thought for their sister over the entire gem civilization.

Blue Diamond could barely spare a moment before asking the Sapphires to fuse again. She needed to know what was being hidden.

On Earth, Garnet clutched her head, tears flowing freely from her left eye.


	12. Empathy

A/N: Woo! Who else is excited for Steven Bomb 4?

Speaking of, with this chapter, if what I am certain is going to happen re: Ruby and Sapphire meeting happens, we are officially Canon Divergent! Also, most likely going to have another divergence point with Steven's birthday in earlier chapters.

Sorry that this one took so long. We had a computer tragedy occur so I'm using my husband's computer to write. This one was finished during a stream today. Clouds should have its next chapter up soonish!

Thank you again for all of the reviews, favorites, and messages! It's really been cheering me up to see that people like this story! And now that it's Canon Divergent, I feel like I have even more freedom for the next couple of chapters! Woot!

Feel free to review! And if you are interested in seeing streams of either story (or the drabbles that I'll post later), then hop over to my tumblr, auratusuniverse, where I'll link up the streams whenever I do them!

-FourFaces

"Alright, I think I'm ready. You can pop the bubble."

Pearl smiled sadly at the gem hybrid who sat on the couch. She popped open one of the two bubbles that Garnet had given her before retreating into the Burning Room (and making sure that no one could follow her), releasing the shards of the Chrysoprase into her palm.

Connie sat next to Steven, gently rubbing circles into his back. They woke up that morning still fused with Pearl staring at them quizzically. Connie had forgotten that Pearl liked to watch Steven sleep and Steven had hoped she had grown out of it. The two unfused quickly, embarrassed that Pearl had seen them in such a state. They had expected a long talk from Pearl, but instead were left alone in Steven's bed as Pearl smiled and went down the stairs to retrieve the bubbled gems that Garnet had brought to the living room.

They had gotten dressed before Amethyst or Peridot had come out of their room and luckily had missed Garnet escaping into the Burning Room. Pearl had wanted to go in after her at first, but the door was rendered inaccessible as soon as Garnet disappeared into it.

Steven took a deep breath and then licked his palm. Pearl gently placed the gem shards in Steven's hand and they waited.

It felt like an eternity before anything happened. Steven was about to give up and return the shards when they glowed slightly. He stared in amazement as they stitched themselves together, healing and reforming into the smooth Chrysoprase gem.

Then, nothing.

"She ... she could just be taking her time to reform," Pearl started. "Let's try the other one."

Steven nodded and gently placed the now intact gem on the table before turning his attention to the gem that Pearl had released.

Lapis.

He repeated what he had done for the Chrysoprase and waited, watching her gem shards reform. Much like the other gem, after the glow subsided, she too was inert.

Peridot watched from the other side of the room, not wanting to intrude as Steven stared at Lapis' gem. She could see tears forming in his eyes and felt her heart break. She had known that this would happen. No one had ever been able to recover a gem that was this badly damaged.

A part of her felt guilty for Lapis' shattering. She had been the one who threw the bomb at Jasper and Lapis protected her from the explosion. Even before they truly defected to the Crystal Gems, Lapis and Peridot had gotten along better than most gems that Peridot had known. Even though she had been her informant and her prisoner, Peridot never wanted to see Lapis get hurt. She had just wanted to do her job, all those years ago.

She thought back, wondering how she had been so lucky to be spared by the Crystal Gems. She could have been bubbled for eternity or harvested. She could have been destroyed by the cluster.

It was all Steven, of course. He was the one that truly brought them all together. He was the one one tried to hard to get the gems to accept Peridot and Lapis. He had saved her from corruption and had been responsible for so much growth that she never would have had on Homeworld.

She watched as Connie gently held Steven close as he sobbed into her shoulder. When they had come into the room that morning and seen the two of them, Amethyst had joked about their "sleepover" and how she was glad that they were "obviously finally doing it" ... whatever "it" was. Peridot couldn't think of anything closer than the fusion that the two had already been doing constantly (which was a closeness she was almost addicted to). Steven had blushed furiously and Connie had playfully pushed Amethyst off of her telling her "Oh my gosh, Amethyst! Nothing happened!", careful to not mention fusion, lest Amethyst continue he teasing even more. Now though, the joking demeanor of Amethyst was gone and the small quartz was somber and walking over to comfort Steven as well.

Pearl stared at the two inert gems. She couldn't remember Lapis regenerating during the war at all, the gem being more of a messenger than a warrior during that time, but she remembered the Chrysoprase. If she felt she was in the middle of a battle, she would regenerate almost as quickly as Amethyst would.

She didn't want to admit it, but it was possible that the shattering of these gems was truly the end for them.

It did not bode well for the future battles if anything happened to any of them.

Garnet screamed and pounded her fist into the wall of the Burning Room. She was so close to splitting apart from the pain that Sapphire was feeling, but she wanted to stay together. Ruby wanted them to stay together. She couldn't let her other half feel the pain by herself.

 _I'm here for you. Please let me stay!_

 _No! I won't let you! This is too painful!_

 _Please, Sapphire -_

Garnet split apart with a pop. Ruby collected herself, suddenly not feeling any of the pain Sapphire was enduring, before she ran over to the love of her life. Sapphire was curled up, howling in pain as sweat poured down her face. After Sapphire seemed to calm down, Ruby gently placed a hand on the cooler gem who recoiled and cried out again.

"It hurts!" She finally got out. "They're killing her! She didn't mean to hide it! She just wanted to keep us safe!"

Ruby froze. She had known that Sapphire was suddenly struck with a vision that had sent them both into excruciating pain, but she had not prodded into it, trying simply to keep her love from feeling the pain any more. Now though, she was hit with memories of Homeworld and of Sapphire's true purpose. She wanted to reach out to her lover, but she knew now that any touch would send her (and possibly the entire cloister on Homeworld) into even more, unbearable pain.

 _Ruby had come out of the hole in the Kindergarten at the perfect time and looked around that the rest of the kindergarten. Her batch of Rubies were all small gems, waiting for instruction. They would be sorted into those that would be front line cannon fodder or workers in one of the weapons factories on one of the colonies (or maybe even Homeworld!)._

 _She could hear the wall next to her open up and looked to see something unexpected crawl out. She was light blue as opposed to the other red gems that were emerging, and wore a tight fitting, dark blue body suit. Her lighter blue hair hung low around her face and she grabbed the walls for support as she came out._

 _She lifted up her hair to reveal the single eye in the middle of her face. Ruby felt something that she couldn't describe as she watched the gem look around. She met eyes with Ruby. Her eye widened before she immediately slammed her eye shut and grabbed her head._

 _The Kindergarten was silent._

 _The silence was broken by the wail of an alarm as two older Rubies arrived into the Kindergarten and approached the blue gem. One of them pulled out a device and prodded it into the blue gem's side, poofing her into her gem. Ruby watched in confusion, wondering what would make them want to do this to such a new gem. Perhaps it was because she was blue while all of the others were red. Maybe it was the eye. That had to be it._

 _"Tell Blue Diamond we have a Sapphire for her," one large Ruby told the other one. "She will be thrilled to have another to add to her cloister."_

 _Ruby wasn't sure what a Sapphire was, but it had to be bad if she was instantly poofed like that. She didn't need to be told anything to know that being poofed was terrible._

 _Soon, she was rounded up with the other new Rubies and taken to a factory, destined to work day in and day out on warships to fight their enemy. She worked hard, finding some enjoyment in the purpose she had been created for. Occasionally her thoughts would turn to the other gem, the Sapphire that had emerged the same day. She wondered where she was or if she had ever regenerated._

 _She worried that her superiors would discover her thoughts wandering and would throw herself into her work even more. It was a rare occasion that led to her path changing drastically. Homeworld had a victory against the enemy and many factories were closed in honor of the fallen and the victorious. The Rubies from the factory that she worked in had congregated at one of the hangers (a Larimar had let them in secretly) to enjoy the rare pastime of gem brawling. The Ruby that fought the hardest and went the longest without being poofed would get winnings that had been pooled together from the rest of the workers._

 _Ruby had gone through about five others before the Larimar ran in, terrified. They had been found out and needed to evacuate immediately._

 _She was too slow and was soon standing in front of Pink Diamond. Her gaze immediately dropped to the poofed Rubies at her feet. She could feel something from Pink Diamond but was unsure of what it was. Was it shame? Sorrow?_

 _The towering gem nodded to another gem that stood next to her. This was one that Ruby had never met personally, but had heard of before. Pink Diamond's second in command. She was a quartz type gem (of course), but she had a certain softness to her that Ruby couldn't understand._

 _"That was impressive," the quartz finally said. "It's such a waste to have you spend all of your days in that factory."_

 _That was that. Before Ruby could even protest, she had her purpose changed. She was now in the army of Rose Quartz, second in command to Pink Diamond. It was 500 years (and many poofings in battle) before she would see the Sapphire again._

 _The Sapphire was given to Rose Quartz as a gift after she had succeeded Pink Diamond. Ruby had heard murmurings within the ranks about this gift, that it was an insult to the new Diamond. That she had been given a defective Sapphire. Ruby was walking through the barracks when she saw the Sapphire for the first time and instinctively recognized her._

 _The Sapphire was wearing a dark blue dress now. She looked horribly out of place walking through, staring at the other gems through her single eye. She looked over at Ruby and gasped._

 _"I wondered if this would happen," she started. "This was in the realm of possibilities, but I wasn't sure if you had been shattered or not."_

 _Ruby quirked an eyebrow, "What do you mean?"_

 _"There were so many futures where we never met ... but we're meeting now."_

 _It was a century before Ruby even began to understand Sapphire. It was another thousand years before she had fused with Sapphire out of desperation in a battle against the enemy when she truly understood what she saw ... and what she felt._

"Garnet!" a voice cried out from outside the door, snapping both gems out of their trances. They were not quick enough to react, their guard having been down enough to drop the lock on the door to the Burning Room.

Ruby met eyes with Connie first, then Steven who covered his mouth to stifle a gasp. She turned to Sapphire who was staring ahead, terrified.

"Steven ..."

"What happened?" Steven asked. "What did she see?"

Ruby sighed and rubbed the back of her neck.

"Sapphires spend a long time in a cloister after they are created, Steven. It creates a bond that is not different from fusion. When one of their own is injured or ... destroyed ... then it can hurt the entire cloister," she began. "I think Homeworld just shattered a Sapphire."

Steven stared, first at Sapphire and then at the bubbled shards above him.

"Why?" Steven started. "Why would they do that?"

"Jasper ..." Sapphire started, trying to collect herself, " ... she had to have been talking with them about what to do with us. The Sapphire was trying to hide what she knows about you ... about Connie ..."

"What?" Connie asked.

"If they come to Earth, they will take both of you ... They'll shatter us, I'm sure of it ... They need a new weapon. They need something that can't be detected by ... AUGH!"

Sapphire curled in on herself even tighter. Her form glitched once before she poofed into her gem.

"Sapphire!" Ruby cried out, running to her gem, cradling it gently in her hands.

"Ruby ..." Steven started.

"She couldn't take it. I never have seen this happen, but she told me it was a possibility," Ruby sniffled, holding Sapphire's gem close.

Steven gently set a hand on Ruby's shoulder while he helped her inspect her gem for any physical damage. Once she was confirmed to be intact, Steven helped up the mourning gem and led her out of the Burning Room with Connie's assistance.

He wanted to ask her what Sapphire was going to say before she had been poofed. Why would they need Connie for a weapon? Or himself? Gems already had strong enough weapons to shatter each other in seconds. There had to be something else.

He didn't get to ask yet. Pearl saw Ruby and immediately helped her over to the couch, a knowing glance shared between the two gems. Amethyst ushered Peridot to their room to give them privacy, leaving the inert gems of Lapis and Chrysoprase on the coffee table. They would be taken care of later. Right now, they were down a teammate and needed to give Ruby time to recover.

 _She could vaguely remember what happened to her as the haze of pain washed away._

 _She remembered the horrified, anguished face in front of her._

 _She could remember hoping that this wasn't in vain._

 _She remembered Steven. How sad would he be when he found out she did this? Hopefully she would be found in time and repaired._

 _She remembered pain. Shattering pain. She was soon a mess of thoughts, memories, and emotions as she tried, desperately, to piece herself back together._

 _Memories warred with each other, each trying to take precedence over another._

 _Memories of the war and flying from Earth to Homeworld, delivering messages from the front._

 _Memories of a warm embrace, stolen during the night before flying off to let Homeworld know that the war was not going to end in their favor. They would lose the colony._

 _Hopes that somehow she could convince her to come home and they could find a way to stay together._

 _Her dark, green face, always smiling when they met._

 _The wild, unkempt hair that was so common in quartz soldiers._

 _The warm smile when she would fly in to receive another message._

 _The sadness when she finally saw her gem, bubbled in the Burning Room._

 _Steven releasing the gem from the bubble, not knowing who she really was._

 _The creature didn't even seem to remember her, or if she did, it wasn't the same._

 _She remembered watching her eat from Steven's hand, a shadow of her former self._

 _Pearl had said that there was no way to reverse the corruption that she was aware of. That they barely were able to save Peridot after they discovered one of the weapons that caused it. If they hadn't acted immediately, then she would never have returned to her normal form._

 _It had been too long for her and she knew it._

 _She felt horrible, bitter sadness._

 _She wasn't even sure if she had survived the battle._

 _Would it be worth it to regenerate? Did anyone survive?_

 _Someone had to have survived. She hadn't been harvested and re-purposed. She was still thinking. Slowly piecing herself together._

 _Maybe ..._

Connie sat on the bed next to Steven as he wrung his hands nervously. They watched from the bed as Ruby sat on the couch, staring at Sapphire's gem. Eventually, she would regenerate and then Garnet would be back. They didn't have much of a frame of reference for Sapphire's regeneration times. She had regenerated quickly on the Homeworld ship because of necessity, but that was the only experience Steven had with Sapphire being poofed. Ruby was almost as impatient as Amethyst when it came to regeneration, so it was very possible that her other half would take much longer, with how different she was from the other corundum gem.

Ruby stared at the blue gem, never taking her eyes off of her. She had wanted to at least share in the pain to avoid this from happening. She wasn't sure how long Sapphire would have to take to regenerate because of this. She didn't even know if she would still be in pain after regenerating. While she had never truly experienced being harvested or re-purposed, she had to imagine that it was more excruciating than even the pain she had tried to share.

The Beach House was silent for what felt like hours before Pearl finally reappeared from her room, bringing a blanket for Ruby. Even though the fiery gem wouldn't really need it, it was comforting.

"If you like, you can stay in my room until Sapphire regenerates," Pearl offered.

"No. I'll stay out here. Besides, one of us has to keep an eye out down here since we don't have anyone to see ..."

A hot tear rolled down Ruby's cheek before she wiped it away, hastily.

Steven watched her, his heart breaking with each tear that Ruby wiped away. This was probably how Connie had felt ... how they all had felt. He didn't even know, when it had first happened, if he would regenerate or not.

He felt Connie's hand on his back and turned to look at her. She smiled sadly before hugging him tightly.

"She'll be back soon," she whispered. "I know it."

Steven nodded and held her tighter. He had so much he wanted to tell her. That he was sorry he had been gone for so long. That he was sorry that she had been in so much pain.

Instead, the pair continued to sit in silence.

 _Steven didn't remember falling asleep, but he soon found himself in a strange dream. For a moment, he wondered if it was another dreamwalking episode as he walked through the darkness. His attention was drawn by a very faint green glow. As he ran forward, he could see someone crouched ahead of him. She was tall, thin, but broad shouldered. Her long, unkempt white hair hung down her back, shielding most of her from view. Her form shuddered._

 _"Hello?" Steven asked as he cautiously approached her._

 _"How long has it been?" She responded with a raspy voice._

 _"Um ... Since the battle?"_

 _There was no response._

 _"I think it's been a month ..." he started. "Were you on our side?"_

 _"... Yes ... I think so ... I can't remember ... I think this is what I looked like ..."_

 _Steven came closer. He watched her lift one dark green arm. She stared at it for a minute before setting it down._

 _"I haven't looked like this in centuries ... I don't know what I'm supposed to be anymore. I was ruthless ... I think. I killed so many."_

 _She buried her face in her hands. Steven walked around to look at her. She wore a uniform that was so dark green it was almost black. He could make out what had to be a pink diamond on her chest. She shook with sobs, her wild hair frizzing even more._

 _"It's alright ... we all had to -"_

 _"No ... during the war. So many deaths ... And I couldn't help her. I'm a monster ..."_

 _Steven gently set a hand on her shoulder, "No ... you're not a monster at all. Who were you trying to help?"_

 _She lifted her head. Steven could see she had one eye, much like Sapphire in the center of her face. The eye stared down at her hands. Her mouth hung slightly open, to where Steven could see a faint, green glow._

 _"You don't understand ..." she murmured. "I was defective ... I should have been re-purposed ... I should never have fought in the first place. But I did and I killed so many ... And then I couldn't even protect her ... They had to have known that we were ... " she trailed off, finally looking Steven in the eye. Her eye widened. Her jaw dropped, revealing the source of the green glow in her mouth._

 _Steven gasped._


	13. Emerald 29 and Sapphire 19

A/N: Holy Moly, that promo! This is now ultra-mega canon divergent (14?! I was way off!)

This chapter gave me so many issues.

I tried so hard to add some fluff to this. I really did. But then the urge to move along the story happened and sleep deprivation took a turn and well ...

This one has a little bit of a cliff hanger, but not quite since everything that is being alluded to is things that will be known (sort of) by the end of this chapter.

Thank you so much for the likes and reviews and we will definitely see more of Centipeetle and Lapis (and a few others) very soon! I'm having fun writing them and love them too much to not include later on.

I have a drabble series connected to this on Archive of Our Own that I will be cross-posting here soon. Mostly things that I couldn't quite fit into this main story but that do take place in this timeline.

Feel free to review!

-FourFaces

Emerald 29 ran down the hallways to the main council chamber. She rehearsed her announcement as she ran.

"Blue Diamond, I regret to inform you ... No ... I checked on your cloister and ... No ..."

She paused in front of the entrance to the chamber. White Diamond and the new Yellow Diamond were gone. This would make it easier.

Besides, Blue Diamond had already shattered someone recently so she wouldn't do it again ... she hoped.

Emerald 29 watched as Blue Diamond sat in the empty chamber, her fingers pinching the bridge of her nose. Her pearl sat nearby, waiting for orders.

It was now or never.

"Erm ... Blue Diamond?"

She watched the gem's shoulders tense up.

"Yes?"

"I checked on your cloister, as you wished, and I have some news."

The Diamond turned to look at her. Emerald 29 tensed.

She had been alive for several millenia. She knew what could happen if a Diamond was unhappy with an Emerald's service.

She had seen 28 other Emeralds under the previous Blue Diamonds shatter.

"They are all inert right now," she began. "I'm not sure why, but their gems were intact. They should regenerate soon."

Blue Diamond simply nodded, not turning around.

"It is to be expected. I did not want to shatter the Sapphire, but it needed to be done. There needed to be an example made to the others."

Emerald 29 released the breath that she did not know she was holding.

"But, why are the others inert?"

Blue Diamond continued to stare ahead.

"It is something that Sapphires in a cloister do. When one member is in pain, the rest can feel it. The pain of being repurposed would be enough to send them into their gems. Don't worry. They will regenerate soon and when one does, the rest of the cloister will as well."

Emerald 29 nodded.

"Shall I continue to monitor them then?" She asked.

Blue Diamond turned and the gem flinched and bowed her head. She didn't want to look her leader in the eye anyway, and she knew it could be the end of her if she tried.

"Don't be afraid," the Diamond started. "I don't want to shatter anyone. I'm not Yellow. I did not even want to shatter that gem, but I had to. It was for the good of our race. If there is something that could turn the tide in our war, then we have to know it."

Emerald 29 nodded, head still down. She wasn't sure if she was lucky to be in service under this Blue Diamond or not. She had survived this encounter, but what would happen if she failed her, truly? Woud she understand and perhaps just send her in for reprogramming? Or would she find herself replaced by another?

She felt the icy hand of Blue Diamond under her chin, tilting her head up to look at her. The Diamond smiled sadly.

"Everything that I do, I do to protect our kind. As long as you have that same goal in mind, then you will be fine."

When Emerald had been sent away, Blue Diamond returned to sit near her Pearl.

She did not want to send forces to Earth to destroy the Crystal Gems. She had seen, firsthand, what that decision had led to. She knew how fruitless it would be to try and conquer Earth, especially with the gems apparently working so closely with humans.

Bargaining with them for the hybrid and that odd human might lead to better results, however. They could find a way to recreate the conditions in the lab to create undetectable soldiers, like those two apparently were. Soldiers with barely any gem energy that would be able to destroy their enemy.

A fear raced through her, however. This could still not work. It could fail spectacularly, in fact. They could spend resources on a project that would not save their kind. Their enemy would still advance and wipe out colony after colony until they reached Homeworld.

There had not been an invasion in 20,000 years.

The only gem who remembered that invasion, other than her, was apparently gone now. Embedded in the body of this hybrid.

She sent away her Pearl before she began to walk to the Cloister. She would relieve the Emerald and wait. She had to strategize before she made any more decisions.

She hoped that the new Yellow Diamond would not act brashly.

Jasper paced in her chamber, clenching and unclenching her fists. Her Pearl stood, staring blankly at her. Jasper turned to look at her, searching her face for any defect.

The Pearl just stared back.

Jasper growled and returned to pacing. Didn't they see that Earth needed to be captured? That Rose Quartz needed to be brought to justice?

She felt the presence of another gem and turned to see White Diamond standing in the doorway. She fidgeted for a moment before taking a deep breath.

"We need to talk about Blue. She is moving too slowly on this and I'm worried that she doesn't understand the need for Earth. It could have been a useful colony. It still can be."

Jasper grinned. She had known that infighting was common in the Authority, but she was happy to see that someone agreed with her.

"Yes. I agree. Perhaps we should send a fleet down, a combined force, and finish this, once and for all. Blue puts too much face in those Sapphires. She needs to understand that they aren't always right."

The two Diamonds conspired, the Pearl still staring ahead blankly. If she'd been defective, she may have twinged at hearing of the desire to shatter other gems, especially another pearl. She may have spoke up at some point, warning them of the chances of the plan failing.

This Pearl was not defective.

Blue Diamond sat near the inert Sapphires, watching them for any activity.

A part of her knew what was going to happen. She considered, for a moment, scrambling her fighter squadrons, grounding the other two Diamonds' flights.

 _What message would that send?_ Blue Diamond thought.

She had seen the uncertainty in Emerald 29's face when she dismissed her. She hoped that the gem had not taken this personally. She just needed information as soon as it was available.

She made sure to send a message to repurposing, banning any Emeralds from entry.

While she waited, she reviewed what she knew.

Pink Di- no, Rose Quartz had somehow created a hybrid.

This hybrid had her powers and lived with the rebels.

Somehow, it survived a mortal wound from Jas- Yellow Diamond.

It has a human companion who it fuses with regularly.

This part did make sense. A hybrid fusing with a human could theoretically work, she supposed.

But, this supposed human companion fused with a gem, according to the report from the Sapphires.

A Peridot.

Apparently, this human had also fused with other gems while fused with the hybrid. This was very interesting indeed. This could mean that they could utilize Earth for something other than Quartz production.

She was eager to experiment on these creatures. She wanted to know how this all was possible and how to create more. The excitement was almost too much to bear.

It was half a cycle of waiting before she was distracted by the icy, blue glow. A grin spread across her face.

It was time for discovery.

"Steven! Are you OK?"

Steven's eyes darted around the room, finally settling on Connie who was sitting up next to him.

"I ... I think I saw Centipeetle ... I don't know ... It felt like a dream but it was too real! She was upset and asking me if she was a monster ... but she didn't look like one!" Steven choked out as Connie helped him sit up.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't ... I think she might still be alive in her gem ... and she wasn't a monster in my dream. She looked just like any other gem and she was so sad and scared."

Connie gently stroked Steven's hair, watching as he fought with himself internally. She had known that he talked about dream walking before (and she was pretty sure she had been on the receiving end of it as well), but this was a huge development if it was true. She helped him up into a sitting position.

"Steven, if you think you talked to her, we need to tell the gems. We may still be able to save all of them."

Steven nodded, letting Connie fold him into a close embrace. She kissed the top of his head softly, feeling him release the breath he was holding.

"What if they still try to hurt us?" Steven asked. Connie knew who he meant and hugged him tighter. "We'll have to re-poof and bubble them ..."

She wanted to tell him that everything would be alright and not to worry, but she knew the chances. She knew that it would be hard for their enemies to be swayed to the Crystal Gems' side.

"Maybe we just work on our allies first? Then you can try to reason with the others in dreams?"

Steven was silent, still wrapped up in his thoughts.

"It's not like you haven't won over gems before," Connie smiled.

Steven chuckled slightly. She was right, of course. She always was. They both looked down to see the temple door open with Peridot emerging. The green gem sat down next to Ruby and gently placed a hand on the red gem's shoulder. Ruby didn't take her eyes off of Sapphire's gem, hot tears still sliding down her face.

"How long does it usually take for her?" Peridot finally asked.

"The last time she truly was injured, it was a month. And she wasn't in as much pain the last time. It's not like when we were captured on the ship and she needed to regenerate quickly," Ruby sniffled. "I just want her back. I can't see anything about the future and I don't feel complete anymore ..."

Peridot gently squeezed her hand.

It was another hour before Amethyst came out, joining the two on the couch, followed by Pearl. Steven and Connie watched silently as the group held Ruby close.

Sapphire's gem continued to rest, inert.

Steven turned to look at Connie. Tears rimmed her eyes. She hastily wiped them away before smiling sadly at Steven.

"Maybe you can learn to control who you talk to ... maybe you could even talk to Sapphire in her gem?"

It would be worth a shot.

"What do I even do?" Steven whispered.

"I had nightmares a lot when I was a kid," Connie started. "Before I moved to Delmarva, I had a doctor who taught me ways to control my dreams. Words to think and stuff … Maybe that could help."

Steven smiled and closed his eyes, sinking into Connie's arms as she began to softly whisper to him the words she would repeat as a child and the words that he needed to hear.

"I will be aware that I am dreaming … I will be able to go where I am needed ..."

 _Flashes of ships touching down interspersed with the pain._

 _Fire._

 _A scream cutting through the chaos._

 _Sadness as Steven and Connie were taken away, limp and lifeless, by Homeworld forces, the gems helplessly watching, unable to act._

 _Two stones pressing against her entire being, shattering her and grinding her into dust._

 _No. Not hers. Sapphire 19._

 _That Sapphire had almost gone to Rose instead. She was glad she didn't. She had often felt a connection with this Sapphire who had once felt the curiosity towards what Rubies were like, when Sapphire had explained her emerging experience to her._

 _Now she would never know._

 _She wondered if the vision was her way of warning the gem, one final time, of the plans that the Diamond Authority wanted to put into place. A way of saving a fellow Corrundum from a terrible fate._

 _She wanted to give her pleasant feelings in return, but the pain was so great._

 _Ruby ... she needed to think of her._

 _The pain lessened a little as she thought of the literal warmth of her love. She thought of the times_ _before they even started fusing outside of battle. A time before Garnet was fully realized as her own gem. Stolen kisses in the halls of Rose's base. Embracing every night, after learning how to show affection to one's lover from watching the inhabitants of this planet. Love ... It was a strange and wonderful feeling. One that was rarely felt within their species._

 _She hoped that Sapphire 19 was feeling this as well in her final moments. She wanted her to have some form of comfort now._

 _She could feel the connection still remain. She had to be shards now. Not quite dust to be repurposed yet. She could feel the disjointed thoughts and fear begin to melt away._

 _Please ... Think of love ... Remember that at least ..._

 _She thought she might have felt an acknowledgement of it, but she was certain she would never know._

 _A voice broke through the pain. She smiled sadly. She knew who it was._

 _"You're learning how to control it. I knew you would ... Did you feel any of that?" She asked, concern in her voice._

 _"No," Steven responded. "But you're still hurting."_

 _Sapphire smiled sadly._

 _"It will hurt for a while, but it will get better. I'll come out soon, Steven. Don't worry. I just need time."_

 _"I saw something though ... is that future certain?"_

 _Sapphire paused. She wanted to protect him from it. She didn't want him to worry._

 _It was a foolish and dangerous gamble._

 _"Almost. There are pieces that need to fall into place to prevent it, but I'm not sure if they will."_

 _Steven nodded and came closer._

 _"Can I help?"_

 _Sapphire thought for a moment._

 _A grin._

 _"You already are."_

When Steven reopened his eyes, he saw Connie hovering near him, an expectant look on her face.

He didn't want to tell her what he had seen. He knew there wasn't any point in hiding it, however.

He felt fortunate that the gems had finally convinced Ruby to go into Pearl's room. That everyone was gone from Steven's part of the Temple.

It made it easier to hide Connie's sobs from the rest of the gems as he told her the terrible, possible future.

Ruby sat on the lowest column of water in Pearl's room. Amethyst had pulled Peridot away into her room to give Pearl and Ruby some privacy. The slender gem sat down next to her and watched Sapphire's gem with the same intensity.

She had been there twice (really, three times - but she didn't like to think about that time as negatively as the others thought) before with Rose's gem. She knew how hard this was. She closed her eyes, remembering the feelings and pain of waiting.

 _She ran back along the beach to where the original battle had taken place. She was empty-handed but they would catch the Larimar and Rose would heal her, like always._

 _"I couldn't catch her, but ... Oh no ..."_

 _Rose's gem rested in Garnet's hands. Pearl choked back a sob and -_

"Ack! I didn't mean for -"

"No ..." Ruby whispered. "It's alright."

Pearl nodded and gently draped an arm on her shoulder.

"Do you know what she was seeing, before you unfused?"

"Some of it. It was horrible and erratic. I'm not sure how much was from Homeworld and how much was the future. If it was a vision, it couldn't have been certain. There has to be a way to stop it."

"Stop what?" Pearl asked. "I thought this was from the repurposing of a Sapphire."

"The pain that unfused us was, but the vision we saw ... They were coming back and they were going to do something horrible."

"Do you know what it was?"

Ruby thought back. She feared it was the same nightmare she had seen when Garnet was aware. The nightmare as they tried to see if Steven would regenerate. The horrifying possibility of what could happen to the hybrid.

It was too terrible to talk about. She began to speak when her hands began to feel a chill. She looked to see the icy glow surround Sapphire's gem.

She watched as Sapphire reformed, her blue dress a slightly darker shade than before. She had barely touched the ground before Ruby had embraced her.

"I thought you were going to be in there so much longer!" Ruby cried out.

"I couldn't," Sapphire began. "Ruby ..."

Ruby didn't need Sapphire's Future Vision to know what she was going to tell her. The look on her lover's face told her everything. Pearl looked between the two gems, watching their eyes lock in silent conversation before Ruby gasped.

"Oh no ..."


	14. Return

A/N: First chapter of the new year! Woot!

Little bit of a content warning. There is a suggestive scene in here. I think I kept it toned down enough that the rating can stay as it will be. This will honestly probably be the only scene that is as such.

Things are about to start heating up for everyone now, so the next few chapters might get intense at times.

Thank you so much for the reviews, follows, and favorites (and to _sushi12 who recommended this to the su subreddit, thank you so much! I'm extremely honored! I was alerted during a stream by one of my tumblr followers and it is seriously some of the best news I've had this week!)

Feel free to review! I think the next chapter should be posted some point during the Stevenbomb!

-FourFaces

Steven and Connie sat, watching helplessly as the gems bickered back and forth.

When Garnet had reformed and told them what Sapphire had seen, the two younger gems went into a panic. Steven had tried to calm them down by telling them about his breakthrough with dream-walking, but it did little to soothe Peridot.

"We need to hide them! Blue Diamond will kill them! I know it!" Peridot cried out.

"No. What we need to do is try and gather up our army. If Steven can get through to everyone in dreams, then maybe they will regenerate and help us!" Amethyst argued.

"That's too many ifs and maybes. If we can't do that, then it's just the four of us up against Blue Diamond. They will rip through us like paper and then they'll have Steven and Connie!"

"You don't know that!"

"You don't know Homeworld like I do!"

Steven gently grabbed Connie's hand. They looked at each other, a silent agreement in their eyes. Whatever happened, the other would not face it alone.

"Do you know what the other Sapphires knew about her? What they may find?" Pearl asked

Garnet sat, silently listening. There were many possibilities. Steven and Connie may not even survive in the atmosphere of Homeworld. They didn't have any way to provide for their physical needs. Even if they did learn something from Connie and Steven, how would they even apply it? Human bodies were so frail and even with the energy from his gem, not even Steven would survive very long.

And if they survived arriving there and their time on Homeworld, they could be put under terrible tests. If they tried to remove Steven's gem to study it, he would die.

Garnet removed her visor and pinched the bridge of her nose. She accessed memories and information that Sapphire had received. It didn't make any sense.

"I can't see any good outcomes for us or Homeworld. They are indeed interested in the fact that both Steven and Connie can sometimes be imperceptible as threats to our kind, yet somehow they both wield amazing power. Connie is even starting to give off enough gem energy that it's sometimes hard to remember she is fully human. They think they can somehow use that ... But there's no way it would work."

"How is this even possible?" Connie asked. "I mean, Steven and I have been talking about it and it still doesn't make any sense!"

"It's not like she has a gem somewhere on her body," Steven started.

Amethyst quirked an eyebrow. A comment was on the tip of her tongue, but a gentle jab to the side from Pearl quickly stopped her.

"That's why Homeworld wants to study you both," Garnet sighed. "They want to find out why Steven's creation was possible and how to create more hybrids. And they are most likely intrigued by the fact that a naturally born human is capable of things only gems can do."

"And there's no way to stop them from coming?" Steven asked.

Garnet grumbled affirmatively.

They sat in silence for a moment before Connie spoke up.

"So ... We can fight though, right? I mean, Steven might have been able to communicate with Centi- er, Chrysoprase and so she's still alive in her gem. That means the others are and we can maybe get everyone back."

Garnet grumbled again. She saw so many possibilities, and only one was a favorable outcome.

"There's a possibility that Jasper and White Diamond have paired up. If they leave Homeworld, we will not have much to prepare. We would not only need the strength of our original army to push them back, but also that of the previous Yellow Diamond's army," Garnet explained. "And it will take a lot of convincing to get them to agree with us, Steven."

Steven nodded and slumped. Connie squeezed his hand again.

"Well, if we have to go down, we won't go gently," Connie stated. "And we should still try to gather as many allies as we can. I know we can do this."

Steven smiled, wanting to believe Connie.

That night, he listened as Connie called her mother again, letting her know she was staying for a few more days. She left out where exactly she was sleeping while she was staying with the gems. Even though she was an adult now, her mother still was concerned for her. They didn't need her getting upset. It would be upsetting enough for her to know that her daughter was now going to be the main target of a Homeworld invasion.

They sat on his bed, watching TV and trying to pretend that everything was going to be OK. They held each other close, Steven stroking Connie's hair softly. The other gems were still meeting in the Burning Room, Garnet having told them to go, nearly pushing them out the door. Before the events that had been occurring, Steven would have protested. Instead, he willingly left, taking Connie with him to spend some time alone together.

"So, what do you think is going to happen in the season premiere of 'Under the Knife'?" Connie asked. "I heard it's their last season and they're going all out with it."

Steven smiled.

"I'm betting that Angela's evil twin is going to try to take over Stewart Island again. I can't believe people keep falling for her tricks," he laughed.

"I know, right?" Connie laughed.

They sat in silence for a moment, just enjoying each other.

"Oh, and Dogcopter 5 is coming out. We should drag Peridot to it!" Connie chuckled.

"She would love it," Steven smiled. "I mean, she loved the books when you were reading them to her."

"Yeah ..."

They continued watching in silence, Steven still stroking Connie's hair softly. He just enjoyed the closeness with her.

"I'd be happy to just be like this forever," he whispered.

Connie smiled and nodded. "After all of this is over ... have you thought about what we should do? If we survive?"

Steven had thought about it, often. He had wanted a peaceful life for years. A life where he could just enjoy being human, enjoy living ... with Connie. He had fantasized about it often, especially after reading Destiny's End with her (and reenacting the ending in Rose's Room) and seeing himself as Archamicharus, transforming into a normal human to be with the love of his life. He wanted that more than anything some nights.

Now though, it seemed things were going the opposite way, with Connie slowly undergoing some sort of transformation.

"I've thought about it all the time," Steven smiled. "I still think we can have it ..."

"I hope so," Connie whispered.

Steven kissed the top of Connie's head again. Connie sighed contentedly before tilting her head up to his. She gently kissed his lips, turning herself to face him. As she pulled away slightly, she looked into his eyes, asking.

He blushed slightly and smiled, leaning back in. She kissed him deeper this time, wrapping her arms around him tightly.

Peridot was about to leave the Burning Room in frustration when Garnet grabbed her arm.

"Don't go out that way if you're going to leave," she insisted.

"Why, Garnet? Why? Tell me why I should listen right now. We keep going around in circles and we aren't coming to any decision. I just want to go into Steven's Bathroom and away from everyone so I can think."

Garnet lowered her visor and quirked her top eyebrow at her. Peridot returned the look.

"Trust me, Peridot. You do not want to go out that way."

Amethyst immediately understood.

"Oh ho ho! Garnet! Are you serious? P! You owe me five bucks! And if Lapis comes back, she owes me a bottle of motor oil!"

Pearl blushed deeply, stammering as she ran to grab Peridot who was about to open up the door. "No, Peridot, you really shouldn't go out here! You can stay in my room for the night while we talk. It's better than the bathroom! I promise!"

"Ugh, what is the big deal? Steven and Connie are the only ones out there and they won't mind if I walk out and go into the bathroom! They rarely use it this late anyway."

"Who wants to tell her?" Amethyst laughed.

Garnet sighed.

"Peridot ... it's time we talked about fusion ..."

 _He had been here. But he seemed so afraid when he was here. Was it because of me? Or was it because he knew who I was?_

 _She repeated the thought to herself over and over. She tried to think, to remember who she really was._

 _She wondered if she was out there, waiting for her._

 _No, I would have felt her presence. It's so faint ..._

 _She thought about Steven. He was out there, for certain, and she wanted to reassure him. To thank him._

 _She focused on her form again._

 _She was not a monster._

 _She was a Crystal Gem. A ranged assasin for the army of Rose Quartz._

 _She was a protector of Steven, whoever he was. He had to be connected to Rose, somehow. He felt like her. She had never understood what his connection was._

 _She focused on her body. Her arms, strong and slender. Her tall stature._

 _The gem in her throat._

 _She powered through the thought of the mark of her defect. She was not a monster. She was not defective in the eyes of Rose Quartz._

 _Of Steven._

 _She remembered her first regeneration, how she had fallen in a fight against an Aquamarine at the site of the Kindergarten. It had started as a small dispute and quickly escalated. She woke up in the barracks, Rose's Pearl near her side. She was offered a chance to train alongside Rose almost as soon as she woke up._

 _She remembered another regeneration where Lapis was waiting for her. She had secured a warp pad in hopes that an easier communication line would be opened when she had been ambushed by several Homeworld Rubies. She was never supposed to fight close quarters, but she found the need to when her escort, a Topaz, was poofed. She had ended up poofing one of the Rubies before she was hit hard enough to retreat into her gem. She remembered thinking that this was the end and that she would never see her favorite messenger from Homeworld. The relief when she saw her was shared when she gently grabbed Lapis' hand. Lapis scolded her for not immediately fleeing, that she could have handled it when she warped in, but she silenced the Ocean Gem with a soft kiss._

 _She refused to remember her other re-generations. Those were not her. Those were of the monster that lurked through the Earth. That attacked the Crystal Gems. That had to be tamed._

 _She began to feel the warmth of regeneration as she was surrounded by a bright, green glow._

Lion was curled up underneath the steps of the Beach House. He'd had enough adventures for now and was content to relax and not worry about gem matters.

Really, revealing what he was to Steven had been quite the relief. There was much less pressure now.

He could hear footsteps above him, coming down the stairs. His ears twitched and he curled in on himself even more. He was not about to do gem stuff on his time off.

"This will be good. We need some time to ourselves anyway," he heard Steven say above him.

"Yeah," Connie replied. "Plus, you can go back to dream-walking practice refreshed."

Lion watched the couple as they reached the bottom step. Their fingers were gently interlinked.

He grinned to himself. He was about to doze off again when he heard heavy footfalls above him.

"Steven! Connie! Come back inside! Something's happening!"

Lion grumbled and covered his face with one big, pink paw. He heard the heavy footfalls of Steven and Connie running up the stairs, the door opening, closing, and then silence.

He decided not to investigate. Today was not a gem stuff day.

Blue Diamond had called for an emergency meeting, hoping that she wasn't too late to catch the other two Diamonds.

When the Sapphires regenerated, they immediately began warning her of what they saw and felt. There was no way that the hybrid and the human would be taken peacefully and the chance that they would have an even stronger army was nearing 20 percent probability (which, while small, was enough to give Blue Diamond a sense of dread).

The two weren't any good dead, and it sounded like they weren't going to come easily.

The troubling possibility of the other two Diamonds causing problems did not help.

If the other two Diamonds reached Earth and everything fell into place, it would be an intense shattering ...

... And their enemy would destroy another colony before they could regroup.

When she arrived at the council hall, she paled. Neither Diamond was there. Only Jasper's Pearl.

"Where are they?" Blue Diamond asked.

"They have gone to the barracks to begin preparations for an invasion," the Pearl stated. "Yellow and White Diamond wanted me to tell you that they are doing this with or without your support."

Blue Diamond groaned in frustration. She knew what she needed to do.

She headed for the hangar for her fleet. They would need to try and intercept Jasper's fleet and fast. As she went, she called for Emerald 29 over her communicator to make sure all of her faction was prepared. This might spark a civil war if she didn't tread carefully.

She stopped in the main research facility. A Larimar was currently working on a new mineral to send to the Corundum colony. This gem had been proud of her work on this mineral, coming close to creating an unfused Garnet (which had never been as successful for Homeworld as it had been for the Crystal Gems).

"Stop what you're working on and come with me. I need you for an important mission. I'll brief you on the way," Blue Diamond demanded.

The Larimar immediately stopped work. Disobeying a Diamond would be foolish anyway, but the look on Blue Diamond's face told her that the mineral could wait.

The gems, Connie, and Steven watched in awe as the Chrysoprase gem glowed brightly before hovering in the air. Pearl gently grabbed Steven's arm, hoping, for his sake, that she would come back whole. Garnet watched, seeing two distinct futures, hoping for only one.

They gasped as they watched the green mannequin figure with wild hair form around the gem. A basic silhouette ... then the silhouette of a tight fitting outfit with a ruffed skirt.

A gasp when the form glitched slightly, another arm trying to form before it disappeared. She threw her head back as the light faded, forcing the dark green gem to land on the ground.

The Beach House was silent as everyone watched the gem hunch over, breathing heavily. Her white hair hung over her face, obscuring it from view.

She mumbled something.

"Wh-what was that?" Pearl asked.

Chrysoprase looked up at the gems, her single eye falling on Steven.

"Where's Lapis Lazuli?"


	15. The Enemy

A/N: Okay, so I couldn't avoid posting this one. I ended up finishing it sooner than I thought I would. However, this one will be the last one before the Steven Bomb (and I probably won't update until Saturday, but we'll see).

In this chapter, we will finally meet the enemy that has been alluded to in previous chapters. My husband and I have been talking about this particular theory (as it is one of our favorites) and I had fun talking with him about what this enemy might be like.

Thank you for the reviews! The part with Lion was probably my favorite part to write (and there is more Chrysoprase to come!).

Feel free to leave a review! I will have another chapter up by Saturday at the soonest!

-FourFaces

The room was silent.

Chrysoprase looked to Steven, a questioning, sad look in her eye. He gulped and started forward.

"Where is she?" She asked, her voice cracking.

Steven knelt in front of her. He could see the hurt in her eye. It wasn't unlike looking at Ruby, when Sapphire had retreated into her gem or Connie when he had been injured.

"She still hasn't regenerated," he started, "But ... I was going to try and talk to her soon, see if I can help her out ..."

She looked at him, tears welling up. She hadn't truly felt tears for centuries. She hadn't truly felt sadness or happiness. It was almost painful, feeling like a true gem after not having been one for so long. She looked about the room. She recognized Pearl, easily. They had only somewhat gotten along in the past. Amethyst had not been found yet when she had been corrupted, so she only remembered her from her time as that ... thing. Peridot was new to her as well, both this gem and the gem type completely. They must have been put into production after the war. She set her eye on Garnet and smirked.

"So, you really figured out a way to stay together forever?" she rasped. "Lucky. You'll have to show me your tricks."

Garnet chuckled, knowingly.

"It's good to have you back," she smiled.

"Can I see her?" Chrysoprase asked Steven.

He nodded and got up to grab Lapis' gem. He cradled it gently in his hands, taking her over to the former monster. Chrysoprase watched him set the gem down in front of her.

"Lapis ..." she whispered, reaching a dark green hand towards her gem. She gently picked the gem up and held her close.

They let her sit with Lapis for a moment, not wanting to intrude on the mourning gem. Connie gently grabbed Steven's hand, reassuring him.

"You did it," she whispered.

"Rose never was able to get through to them," Pearl started. "But you were ... if anyone can save them, you can."

Steven smiled, pride welling up inside of him.

Chrysoprase meekly turned around and looked at Steven.

"Steven?" she asked.

"Yeah?"

"Do ... do you happen to have any Chaaaps? I have the strongest urge to have some ..."

Blue Diamond sat at the bridge, watching the stars whiz past. The ship was traveling as fast as possible, but she worried she wouldn't land in time. An estimate from the Peridot pilot was 14 cycles, but she couldn't be certain. They could run into problems on their way very easily, having to cross out of Gem Controlled space part way through.

"Erm, Blue Diamond," she heard the Larimar scientist stammer behind her. "You still haven't told me my objective on this mission. Why I'm needed ..."

She sighed and turned to face the gem.

"There is a chance that Earth holds the key to winning the war. But to do that, I need my most versatile scientist to help study this potential new ... weapon," she began.

"A weapon? From that lost colony? But ... what could possibly be good about a weapon from there?"

"This could keep us from losing more gem soldiers in this conflict. We could finally focus on peaceful applications for different gem types ... instead of having to worry about keeping up with the enemy."

The Larimar quirked an eyebrow.

"But ... what weapon would possibly work against them that we haven't already thought of?"

Blue Diamond smiled. The Larimar was only 3000 years old. She had only hear whispers of the civil war that nearly destroyed the civilization. She did not know of Rose Quartz, Pink Diamonds, or humans. She only knew that Earth was a lost colony and that it was the fault of gems who had gone native. Gems who no longer cared for their own kind, preferring a creature that barely registered as sentient.

"How much do you know of Rose Quartz?" she asked.

"Not much. Just that she led the rebellion over 5000 years ago and that she is the reason for the current Diamond Authority being what it is now."

"Yes, in a way. She was the last Pink Diamond. They were almost always a quartz, either a Crazy Lace Agate or a Rose Quartz, being best attuned to the perfect conditions for creating new gems as well as having typical quartz strength, great for training new warriors. Rose was one of only two Rose Quartz to ascend to the title. They were a rare quartz anyway. They don't tend to come out of the Kindergartens very often, but when they do, they cause quite a stir. She was no different in that respect ... but she did tend to get a little more involved in the Kindergartens than Pink Diamonds would historically.

"When she was assigned to Earth, reports seemed to be good until something changed. I'm still not sure what, but soon reports of needing to move Kindergartens or having to stall operations kept coming back. When an envoy was sent to discuss this, we learned that she had renounced her title and stopped production completely. The conflict boiled until it became violent. So many gems were shattered and so many rules had been broken, on both sides. It was the first time we found gems who had mastered fusion to a horrifying degree. Instead of fusing with their own type, they were fusing with different gems. This had been spearheaded by one of my former Sapphires and a Ruby. Unlike proper fusions, these were wild and strong ... and most were unstable.

"The conflict had to end when we got reports about several colonies being destroyed by our enemy. We couldn't focus on Earth anymore, but we couldn't let it fall into anyone's hands either. I'm sure you'e heard of the corruption weapons?"

The Larimar nodded. She had heard of them. They were banned now, thankfully.

"We used one on Earth. Corrupted all of Rose's army, save for the few that escaped behind her shield. We left behind so much when we abandoned that colony, including an experimental weapon that had been planted by the former Yellow Diamond. We hadn't heard back from that colony for thousands of years, after a Red Eye never came back. The Lapis Lazuli that had sent us the message telling us that there was no way we could stop Rose's army during the war had also returned and given us news. I'm sure you have heard the rest ..."

Larimar nodded.

"Well, Rose unwittingly created the perfect weapon ... She mated with a human, it seems, and now her offspring bears her gem. He is nearly as powerful and was almost undetectable as a gem. He is accompanied by a female human who is starting to show similar traits. I want to create more of these soldiers, but I need to know how this is all possible. That is why I need you. I need you to study them and find a way to recreate them."

Larimar did not want to back down from a challenge or tell Blue Diamond that there was a chance that any experimentation could lead to disastrous results, but she shuddered, thinking of the implications. A weapon that could possibly wipe out the enemy without them even knowing. It excited and scared her.

The ship shook, jarring the crew out of their seats.

"What was that?" Blue Diamond barked.

"It looks like they've found our ship," the Peridot responded. "They only slightly damaged our shields, but we need to make a decision fast. I can get the weapons ready if you want me to."

Blue Diamond looked at the view screen. The sleek, metal ship of their enemy was zooming to hit them head on. She studied the cylindrical shape of the ship. It was one of the transport ships, she believed. Unable to truly stand up to a gem ship in battle. Even less likely to catch up to them.

 _She smiled._

 _Her presence was strong now. Stronger than it had ever been._

 _She had survived. She had to be out there now._

 _She almost felt like she had centuries ago, before her imprisonment. Before the corruption._

 _She could afford to come back out. She hadn't ever taken the chance to change her appearance during regeneration, but she thought about it this time ... At least maybe removing the Diamonds for once._

 _Homeworld wasn't her home anymore. And really, maybe it never was._

 _Her home was wherever the dark green gem was. And now, that was Earth._

Chrysoprase had returned to her watch over Lapis' gem after having eaten two bags of Chaaaps by herself. She whispered to the gem, hoping Lapis could hear her.

Steven watched with Connie and gently set a head on her shoulder. She smiled and kissed the top of his head.

"So, did you want to try dream walking again to see if you could reach Lapis?" She asked.

"Yeah, I think I will tonight ... It's funny, Lion had said that love was a foreign emotion to gems, but almost every non-corrupted gem I've met seemed to feel something akin to love for someone else ... Is it really that foreign?"

Connie smiled. "Maybe it's Earth - or being near your gem. You do seem to inspire love in others," she blushed. "Or at least that's how it is for me ..."

Steven laughed. "Who's the schmaltzy one now?" Steven teased before poking Connie in the side, eliciting a squeak in response.

He chuckled and started tickling her sides now, causing her to erupt into laughter and cries of protest. She flopped back onto the bed, Steven following her. She took a few deep breaths and looked into Steven's eyes. He smiled at her and started to lean in for a kiss.

A bright blue glow shone from downstairs, followed by an excited chirp from Chrysoprase. Steven and Connie leaped up and ran down the stairs, Steven calling out to the other gems who had retreated to their rooms.

Connie watched as Lapis gem lifted itself out of Chrysoprase's hands and glowed, the mannequin body appearing before Lapis' familiar form began to appear. Pearl, Amethyst, and Peridot ran out of the door as Lapis' form glowed brighter before revealing herself in her new, diamondless dress. She floated to the ground, eyes still closed, before getting her bearings. As she looked up at Chrysoprase, she smiled, tears welling in her eyes.

"You're back," she smiled.

The two gems rushed to each other, holding each other close. They whispered among each other in a language Steven barely understood. He felt as if he should know it, but the understanding was just out of reach. He turned to Pearl who watched them, tears rimming her eyes.

Connie gently squeezed Steven's hand and smiled at him, confident now that he could heal everyone.

In the Burning Room, Garnet smiled, knowing that the path was clearing up to lead them to a more preferable future. She began to gather bubbled gems to take out for Steven to heal that evening.

That night, as they lay in bed, Steven began to prepare himself to try and talk to more gems in dreams. He felt his breathing start to match Connie's slow and steady breaths. He curled around her tightly, burying his face in her hair. He had healed some Rubies, a Jade, and a Moonstone. He knew that they wouldn't immediately reform, still being in shock from being shattered and then healed. He wanted to try and convince the enemy gems to join their side, but Garnet warned him to tread carefully.

In.

Out.

In.

Out.

He repeated the mantra she had taught him as he went deeper and deeper into unconsciousness. He could feel himself get taken on a current towards several voices clamoring out.

 _Don't be upset by them. Just focus on one._

He felt a pull towards one. A white glow surrounded him as he got closer. He could see her thin form ahead of him. Her white hair was cropped short, her skin a very pale blue. She huddled tight, shaking with anger. A yellow diamond emblazoned the back of her green uniform.

 _Uh oh._

She turned, saw him and glared.

"Are you here to gloat?"

"No ... I just wanted to talk ... I healed your gem."

"Heh. Just like a Rose Quartz. You're foolish, you know."

"Maybe I am."

"I don't know what you saw in this planet. Why you thought it was alright to betray your kind ... It's no matter. If Yellow Diamond's forces don't return in time, it won't matter for anyone," the gem laughed bitterly.

"What do you mean?"

"You doomed us all. Gems. Humans. All of us. We never should have come back here. Even though we could produce more than enough quartz soldiers here to sustain our army, it would be too late now. They're going to win if we keep focusing on your precious Earth."

"Wha-? Who is going to win?"

The Moonstone squinted at him.

"You really aren't the traitorous Rose Quartz, are you?"

"I'm her son," he started.

"Hmm ... a hybrid. Well, she probably didn't tell you then ... or anyone under her care. She had them all brainwashed, thinking that this was the only planet worth protecting. What was she going to do when they came for Earth? There is enough of a gem presence here to eventually attract them. It was doomed the moment she landed."

"Who are you talking about?" Steven asked, exasperated.

"Not really a who. More of a what," the moonstone smiled. "But you've seen it. I know you have."

She projected an image for him from her gem.

J _aspers, running head on toward an enemy that surged on, almost as one single mind. Their bodies were all the same - sleek, metallic, and moving almost like a liquid. Their faces were stoic. Their form was alien and fluid. Not quite humanoid, not quite animal. The Jaspers ran head long into them, stopping to fire their weapons. The weapons had no effect as the force moved on them. They seemed to almost absorb the hits, growing, surging onward._

 _"Don't get too close!" A Jasper cried out to another that was just ahead of her._

 _It was too late. The Jasper turned to run before she was grabbed. A metallic liquid began to cover her, squeezing the life out of her. Her strangled cries echoed as she retreated into her gem, only to disappear._

 _A new soldier soon appeared in her place. Lifeless expression, metallic body. It joined the surge. The only goal was to assimilate and create more._

Steven awakened with a start, gripping Connie even tighter. He sat up in bed and stared out for a moment.

 _What were those things? Were those even real?_

He started to get out of bed and felt Connie shift. He gently kissed her cheek.

"I'll be right back, love," he whispered, eliciting a sigh from her.

He made his way down the stairs to the Temple Door. He needed answers, but he felt he wouldn't receive any from the other gems. His gem glowed and the door opened. He stepped inside the cloudy pink room of his mother's.

He could create anything he wanted in here and had gotten better at controlling it through the years. He had recreated Connie a few times in his later teen years, mostly to talk out feelings that he didn't want to share with the real Connie yet, as well as different scenarios to train against.

He had a specific purpose however.

"Room. Show me the enemy that the gems were fighting ... before Earth."

The room seemed to pause, the warm, comforting atmosphere seeming to melt away. Some clouds pulled together, forming the metallic entity that Steven had seen. He stared, mystified and horrified, at the creature. There was no soul to it. This was common with objects created in the room, but in this case, it was even more obvious. The creature seemed to be created from liquid metal, its soulless eyes staring at him, glowing bright. It looked at him and changed to mimic his shape, the metallic liquid shifting, studying him. He reached out to touch it and it fell to the ground in a formless blob before reforming its original, vaguely humanoid shape.

"What are you?" He asked. The creature didn't have a response, but he could hear a voice behind him.

"Steven ... I was hoping you would never have to learn this ... We never learned their name but we've had our own name for them ... We were fighting them for so long ..."

He turned to see the image of his mother.

"If you are seeing this ... then I pray that they have not reached Earth ... that they haven't taken you yet ..."

He could see her image slump, sad and resigned.

"Steven ... a long time ago, the gems began a war with a species that we called the Alloys ..."


	16. Making Attempts at Contact

A/N: So ... how about those latest episodes, huh?

Still canon divergent and things are going to start ramping up a little more. There is something rather evil that I'm toying with for later on (I know where I'm going with this, but there's a chance I may slip something else in), but we'll see how it goes.

Thank you for all of the reviews and likes! I'm hoping to have a little bit of fun with the Alloys concept. I'm also having some fun with what's happening to Connie ... again, might go slightly evil towards these characters.

Also, enter some minor OCs soon.

Feel free to review! I'm hoping to have the next chapter up before next week, if I'm lucky!

-FourFaces

Connie awakened with a start about an hour after Steven had left.

She couldn't place why she was awake, and in all honesty, she didn't even feel tired anymore. She stretched and rolled over, expecting to feel Steven next to her.

He was gone.

She shot up with a start, worrying for a moment that the few days had been a dream. She calmed, seeing that Lion was no where to be found.

 _He's alright ... I hope ..._

She swung her legs around the side of the bed and grabbed one of his shirts. It hung on her like a nightshirt, but would do in case any of the gems were moving about the Beach House for any reason. She made her way down the stairs and to the kitchen. She opened the refrigerator and stared in. She wasn't sure if she was even hungry, but she needed to distract her mind.

Memories of her dream came to her slowly. Flashes of light and a pink, cloudy world where she felt safe and secure.

It was odd, indeed. What was even more odd was the gem that had featured prominently in the dream. It was more of a shard, but it was there. A shard of a pink gem. She somehow knew that it was not Steven's as this did not feel like the nightmares she had been used to.

It seemed to call to her, a gentle strain of a violin playing. She remembered reaching out to it, feeling warmth and comfort ...

And life.

She shook her head, clearing her mind, and stared into the fridge again. She was lost in thought, wondering where Steven could have been. There was no light from the bathroom, the only lights in the Beach House being from his Cookie Cat alarm clock and the glow of the fridge. She stared at the temple door.

 _I wonder ..._

She walked over to the door and stared. She could almost feel a strong pull through it. Steven was most likely in there.

 _Why?_

She didn't even have time to answer herself when the door opened. She did not expect to see the defeated look on her boyfriend's face. His eyes were haunted, his mouth down turned.

"Steven?" Connie asked.

"It doesn't matter. None of it matters ..." he whispered.

"What do you mean?" Connie asked.

"The Earth was doomed the moment my mom rebelled ... the moment gems even set foot on Earth. I thought maybe it was just the Moonstone telling a lie, trying to psych me out ... but it's true ..." Steven mumbled as Connie pulled him close.

"What did you see?" She whispered.

"They weren't just conquerors ... they were afraid. They needed to build on as many worlds to keep away from them ... Connie, the Diamonds might have been right ..." he whispered. "Or somewhat right ... a colony here would have doomed humanity but it would have been better than ... that."

Connie could see the terror on Steven's face as he tried to forget what he had seen. She gently kissed his temple. She wanted to tell him that she was sure everything would be OK. She wanted to promise that they would get through this.

He turned to face her finally. They stared into each other's eyes, a silent conversation.

Neither knew who initiated the fusion, but soon, Stevonnie stood in the kitchen, her thoughts troubled as Steven shared the burden of knowledge with Connie. They felt the pain and fear that this knowledge unleashed.

They didn't want to unfuse, finding strength in the fusion from each other. The thought of never unfusing had occurred to them both, many times, but right now it was the most tempting idea, to keep each other from falling apart.

 _They had found the device in a cave._

 _It was small, cylindrical, and scared Garnet and Pearl more than the Cluster, Yellow Diamond, and Malachite combined. Pearl had warned Steven and Connie not to get too close, lest the cylinder explode._

 _"What is it?" Steven asked._

 _"It is an ancient weapon that can produce horrifying results. Only your mother's shield had saved us from it ... I didn't even know that one still existed," Pearl started._

 _"We need to bubble it so we can safely transport it off world," Garnet started. "If it were to go off ..."_

 _Peridot was not listening, marveling at the wonders of the cave that they were exploring. She had been on many missions since officially becoming an ally and figured that this one wouldn't be any different. She gazed in awe at the crystals that jutted from the ground, decorated in crude drawings from a civilization that was long past._

 _A rumble shook all of the gems out of their reverie, and the Crystal gems summoned their weapons. Connie unsheathed her sword, preparing to protect Steven._

 _A creature emerged from the cavern, its sleek, long body glinting in the light from Pearl's gem. It turned its large, orange head and bared its fangs at the gems. A shock of white hair parted the creature's fierce head. A glint of light revealed a gem hidden in the hair._

 _"Keep it away from the weapon!" Garnet cried out._

 _Amethyst cracked her whip, wrapping it around the head of the monster, causing it to roar in anger. Pearl and Connie charged at it, assaulting the creature's tough hide with sword and spear. Garnet and Steven were next to lead the attack, charging at the creature to protect the others._

 _Peridot was attempting to summon a weapon, helplessly grasping at her gem in vain. She watched as the rest of the gems pummeled the creature, trying to herd it away from the device._

 _The creature reared up, throwing the gems every which way, before landing with an earth shattering thud._

 _This armed the bomb._

 _The other gems had run to Steven, knowing his shield, when summoned, would protect them._

 _Peridot did not know this._

 _She only knew that she was failing to protect the gems by not summoning a weapon._

 _She did not know how she had reached it, but the green gem was soon curled around the device, shielding it from the others while she tried to disarm it before the internal fuse ran out. She had known that it had to be an explosive of some sort, having created a few during training on Homeworld. She did not hear the cries of the others, completely focusing on the task at hand. This was what Peridots were fo-_

 _FLASH!_

 _She felt her whole body seemingly turn inside out, She could feel searing hot pain tear through her body, picking her apart and trying to rearrange her._

 _She could see the monster they were fighting. The bomb had poofed it. That was good._

 _The thoughts of failure hit her like a hammer next, tearing at her and breaking her down. She writhed in pain, feeling her physical form start to shift, unwillingly._

 _She did not notice the small hands that grabbed her, pulling her away from the bomb._

 _She eventually realized she was behind Steven's shield, away from the active device. Amethyst was curled in on herself and Pearl's face was frozen in a horrified expression._

 _"It's almost over," she could faintly hear Garnet state._

 _"Steven, what do we do?" she could hear Connie ask. Her first fully human friend. How nice that she was concerned ..._

 _The pain shot through Peridot again as her physical form tried to separate her fingers from the rest of her hand. She cried out, feeling them curve into sharp hooks. She wanted to know what was happening to her, but she already knew. This was the corruption. This was how they made monsters out of gems. The device was rewriting her code and there was little she could do to fight it._

 _Weapons like these were banned on Homeworld, so this had been foreign territory for her. Now, however, she was going to be twisted into some monster._

 _"Peridot! Please fight it!" She could hear Steven cry. "Please!"_

 _Poor kid ... he seems so upset about this Peridot ..._

 _She could feel her identity slipping away. She stared up at the face that looked down at her. Pearl's heartbroken expression pierced at her heart._

 _"Please stay with me ..." Pearl cried. "We can't lose you ..."_

 _She could feel the warmth from Pearl. She craved it, needed it._

 _"Peridot! Try to remember yourself! You're a gem! You're my friend!" Steven tried out, squeezing one of Peridot's hands._

 _She could feel herself needing to retreat into her gem. She wanted to so badly, but she needed to know if the bomb was truly disarmed._

 _Yes, that was what she was doing ... disarming the bombs to save the gems. To save the ones who took her in and had started to treat her as if she was one of them ... like family ..._

 _She had poofed before she could act on this, the last sound she heard before reforming being Amethyst's cry._

 _She found herself taking care in reforming, the diamond emblem on her knees being replaced with the star. Even though she didn't feel like a Crystal Gem, she wanted to prove that Steven was right. That they were all right ... that she wasn't a monster. She was a friend._

 _When she emerged from her gem, she felt intense pain and worried that she had done it incorrectly. When she opened her eyes, she could see the astonishment in the faces of the gems and Steven. She struggled to find her voice, coughing and clearing her throat._

 _"Peridot ..." Pearl gasped._

 _Steven was grinning now and Amethyst was running towards her, arms open for an embrace_

 _"Peri, I'm so glad you're okay!" She cried out, hugging Peridot tightly._

 _Peridot looked to Garnet who smirked._

 _"I like the new look. Subtle."_

 _Peridot grinned and found her voice._

 _"Thanks."_

She often flashed back to that moment, being saved ... being truly accepted. She was sitting on the roof of the Beach House, having snaked away from Amethyst and Pearl's embrace and tiptoeing through, hoping to not wake anyone. She had left before Steven had awakened from his nightmare and was unaware of anything that could be happening in the Beach House. She often thought back, when she had her moments of wondering if this had been the right decision, to when her place was truly solidified.

She heard a voice, speaking in a language she had not heard for a long time. It was almost ancient, by Homeworld standards, and the use had always been frowned upon. The lilting tones were almost hard to decipher, but she instinctively knew it. She scanned the horizon to see the source of the conversation. Lapis and Chrysoprase danced on the surface of the ocean, a soft glow around them. They never phased into each other, but continued to orbit one another, spinning in closely and singing in the light language to one another. Peridot smiled, curling in on herself to watch the pair.

She found her eyes drawn up to the sky. She didn't even remember which star was Homeworld's star anymore. She had given herself to Earth so fully now. She wondered, occasionally, if it was the right choice. She remembered building weapons for the war. Bombs to be sent to colonies to delay any attacks. It was an arms race, almost. An arms race against an enemy that was so alien that they couldn't even communicate. She had never actually seen the enemy, but she remembered the posters vividly.

But Earth was far enough away. There was no chance that they could come here.

 _I hope ..._

She made her way back down the roof after an hour of silent contemplation and slowly opened the door to find Stevonnie standing at the kitchen counter, bracing themselves against it.

"Oh, h-hi Stevonnie," she stammered, embarrassed to walk in on such a private moment. After Garnet's explanation of human fusion, she had to admit that she felt a little more awkward around Steven and Connie. She supposed that it made sense that they would do something like that, but it still sounded so ... strange. It made her wonder if proper fusion was serving the same purpose when they did it.

"Hi Peridot," they smiled weakly.

"What's up?" she grinned awkwardly.

"Connie didn't want Steven to feel alone in this ... He learned something ... We've learned something."

Peridot tilted her head. They had fused to protect each other from emotions. It shouldn't have surprised her as that was often the purpose of the fusions with Pearl and Amethyst. She gently placed a hand on Stevonnie's.

"What did you learn?" Peridot asked, curiously.

Stevonnie gritted their teeth. They could feel the inner conflict boiling. They could tell Peridot and maybe get some guidance ... but it was too painful to think that Rose doomed everyone.

They looked up at Peridot, seeing her eyes search them for the cause of their anguish.

"Peridot ... Did you ever hear about the Alloys on Homeworld?"

Peridot paled.

"I think we made it through," Blue Diamond's Peridot stammered. "If we keep on this course, we should arrive in time to stop Yellow Diamond's forces."

Blue Diamond smiled, watching the stars pass. She had sent the Larimar back to her work, preparing a method of testing that would safely work on these strange creatures. They had to make sure that they survived the process or else it would all be for naught.

"Um ... Blue Diamond?" she heard the Larimar stammer behind her. "We ended up with a boarder ..."

Blue Diamond turned to see the Larimar straining to hold a bubble together. Inside of the bubble was mutilated, screaming body of an Alloy. It tried to reform its missing legs but failed, screeching in frustration. Blue Diamond nodded and placed her own bubble around it.

"Thank you. It's very interesting. I've never seen one that wasn't in tact. This could prove useful as well ..."

Larimar nodded and sent the bubble back into her lab.

"Preparations are almost ready, ma'am," she began. "Will we need to find provisions for the creatures when we land?"

"Possibly. I'm still trying to come up with a plan that will end this without the need for violence. Colonizing Earth will do little to help our kind now, but if we can somehow tap into the resources that those two provide, then we might be able to have an effective way of stopping the Alloys' march across our colonies."

The Larimar nodded, wanting to believe her leader. She still had doubt in her mind. She had never seen a human in the flesh, only looking through research notes from millenia ago. She wasn't certain what could destroy them, so this would have to be delicate work.

As she headed back towards her lab, another thought came to mind. The Alloy that was in the bubble might also unlock some clues to how to win. She cursed her weak bubbled and dismissed the thought. If she tried to release it, she could doom the entire ship. She sighed and returned to her work.

Greg had decided to take the day off from the Car Wash today. Business was slow lately anyway and he needed to check on his son and see how things were going. He drove down the beach, heading towards the Temple as the sun rose over the horizon. As he pulled up, he noticed Lapis standing near the door with a dark green gem who he didn't recognize. He parked and walked up, the stairs. He heard them speak to each other in a language that he couldn't even begin to comprehend before the dark green gem placed a small kiss on Lapis' cheek. Greg cleared his throat, alerting Lapis to his presence.

"Uh, hey Lapis. Glad to see that you're back," he smiled, sheepishly.

"Oh! Hello, Greg! Yes! Steven healed my gem ... again," she blushed. "And I think he's fiured out how to fix the corruption."

Chrysoprase smiled modestly, her hands finding their way behind her back.

"I was wondering ... Glad to see you're feeling better, uh ..."

"I'm a Chrysoprase," she smiled. "You may have seen me with a lot more legs last time," she chuckled.

"Oh! You were his little monster buddy! I'm so glad he healed you!" Greg laughed. "Rose would be so proud."

Chrysoprase grinned. The three headed into the Beach House to see Stevonnie consoling Peridot on the couch.

"Um ..." Greg started.

Stevonnie and Peridot looked up and the fusion immediately split apart, leaving a bewildered Peridot to stammer as Steven and Connie gathered themselves up, blushing slightly.

"Did I interrupt something?" Greg asked.

"Um ... well," Connie started.

"We were walking about something that Steven saw when he was dream-walking," Peridot started, looking pointedly at Lapis. "About the Alloys."

Lapis and Chrysoprase paled as well.

"... Are they coming?" Chrysoprase hissed.

"I don't know," Steven admitted. "The Moonstone that I healed last night was telling me about it ... It was terrifying. I kind of hope that the rubies regenerate first so that we can deal with her. Though, I need to try and talk to them first."

Connie gently grabbed his hand in hers, rubbing circles on the back with her thumb.

"We can try later today ... You can try those meditation techniques I was showing you," she smiled.

Steven returned the smile and gently kissed the top of Connie's head, reassuringly.

"So, bud, that's pretty amazing what you've done so far," Greg started, hoping to cheer his son.

"Yeah ... I guess it is pretty great," Steven smiled.

"It is, Steven," Chrysoprase started. "I wouldn't be standing here today if it weren't for you. You've done something no one else could."

Connie gave Steven's hand another squeeze.

"Any mistakes made in the past by others don't reflect on you," Lapis started. "And you might be the only one who can fix them ..."

"I know," Steven replied. "That's why I'm so scared."

Greg looked between the gems and Connie as the atmosphere in the room seemed to become suffocating with sadness.

"Um ... what's going on?" Greg asked. "Did we get confirmation that they're coming back."

"They are ..." Steven started. "But, not for the reason we thought ..."

"What do you mean, bud?" Greg asked.

Connie and Steven exchanged a glance.

"They might be coming back for us ... just us." Connie answered. "Sapphire saw something and Homeworld might think that Steven and I hold the key to stopping their enemy."

"Enemy?" Greg asked. "I thought they were just conquerors."

"At first," a new voice stated from the doorway. They all turned to the Temple Door to see Pearl. She walked over, head down. "They were conquerors. They found planets that had just enough life to create a new colony on and continued to expand. But no empire can expand without attracting attention."

"Of course," Lapis started. "You knew about them too."

"Heh. It's hard not to when you're always there during meetings with the Diamond Authority. When you hear them talk about expansion and then destruction of far reaching colonies. They're attracted to gem energy. It's powerful enough to keep their species constantly growing."

"I remember the first report about them," Lapis started. "It was terrible. One moment, a promising gem colony was flourishing at the furthest reaches of our empire. Then we get a message from a supply ship that had arrived to the metallic remains of the world. Only three of the forty gems sent to that colony had survived. The rest were assimilated."

"I saw what they can do ... But if they're attracted to gems, then why would they need me?" Steven asked. "I have a gem ..."

Connie sighed and sat down. "But you're still human as well. You're the bridge, Steven."

Steven nodded and sat next to Connie.

"So, what do we do? The Moonstone said this planet was doomed as well. Because of us."

"No. Because of colonizing in the first place," Pearl started. "The minute the first kindergarten was activated, we should have known that this could happen."

"So, what do we do?" Steven asked. "If Connie and I stay, we might as well have doomed everyone."

"You don't know that, Steven!" Pearl snapped before composing herself. "We will have to cross that bridge when it comes."

"No. We'll fight," Connie started. "Not just Homeworld ... We'll fight them too. We'll find a way."

As the morning dragged on and Garnet and Amethyst emerged, the gems sat around, discussing the next move while Connie helped Steven meditate. As he was pulled into his dream state, he could feel an intense heat. He traveled, looking for a Ruby and found her hunched over. He smiled and walked over to her, noting that her gem was on the back of her hand instead of her palm.

"So ... how does it look?" She asked Steven as he approached. "Am I still a monster?"

"No. You're a Crystal Gem, remember?" Steven started. "Rose tried so hard to help you but she didn't know how to fix it. I'm not even sure if this is the right way to do it, but it's worked before."

The Ruby smirked.

"I am going to miss the extra arms," she started. "Made it easier to hit things. Are there more waiting?"

"There will be," Steven smiled. "But we'll need your help when you reform. We need you as a Ruby. As yourself."

She laughed and nodded.

"So, did I do well against Homeworld?"

"Wonderfully. It was a cheap trick they pulled, huh?" Steven smiled.

"Yeah. I swear, next time I see a Moonstone, I'm going to beat her gem in."

"Eh ... maybe hold off on doing that," Steven laughed nervously. "But ... come out whenever you're ready," he smiled.

"You know it, Small Rose," the Ruby laughed.

Steven returned to awareness and smiled at Connie who sat in front of him expectantly.

"One down," he chuckled.


	17. The Space Race

A/N: That was seriously the best Steven Bomb ever. I really do think this one has my new top 5 favorite episodes.

That being said: Welcome to extreme canon divergence! I'm probably going to just keep this as canon divergent for now (even though I like canon more), but we'll see if I do decide to do an re-edit.

This chapter was amazingly difficult to write and I did a last minute edit to it that I'm hoping works. I'm kind of time jumping a little bit to keep the story moving for the next part. Because holy moly, that next part ...

There's going to be a turning point coming up soon that I'm getting a little nervous writing about because I can either go completely evil or only slightly evil (I have to keep reminding myself that this isn't Clouds).

Thank you for the reviews and follows! I'm hoping to get the next chapter up towards the end of next week!

Feel free to review!

-FourFaces

* * *

It had been a few weeks.

The forces of the Crystal gems had grown exponentially and the Moonstone had not regenerated yet. Steven wondered if she could sense the other gems around her. It was probably wise that she didn't regenerate yet.

The Beach House was crowded at nights, multiple gems huddled around trying to decide on the next step to take before the Diamond Authority arrived. Pearl and Garnet were trying to figure out a good way to make the Temple a more welcoming base for the other gems while Peridot and Amethyst occasionally took a gem out to Beach City (much to Pearl's annoyance). The Quartz type gems seemed to enjoy the boardwalk more than the others, though the Rubies thoroughly enjoyed spending time at the arcade (and getting kicked out). The one Labradorite spent most of her free time watching the birds that lived in the wetlands near the temple while the Watermelon Tourmaline would relax near the ocean with Lapis and Chrysoprase.

Greg had offered the use of the barn again to take the strain off of the Temple and Beach House, but Garnet was confident that they would find room for them. They had found room for all of the gems when they were in their corrupted forms. They would do it again.

Steven had noticed Connie was starting to become more tired than usual towards the end of the fourth week of planning, occasionally dozing off in the middle of a meeting, but decided it had to be stress. After all, the Diamond Authority was coming to try and take her away.

He wasn't about to let that happen.

Peridot and Connie had gone out after one particularly stressful discussion (where methods of experimentation were discussed that sounded more like torture). Peridot took her to the boardwalk to try and take her mind off of everything. They had taken one of the Citrines to Fish Stew Pizza. Connie watched as the Citrine devoured an entire pie by herself (to the amusement of Kiki), while Peridot looked on in shock and horror. Connie herself only had two slices (suddenly she wasn't hungry), but did sit and talk with the elderly Nanefua. Even though she was nearing 100, she was as spry as she had ever been. She enjoyed the parade of new gems, enthralled by their stories and experiences. Kofi was hesitant to welcome the gems in, rightfully worrying about damage to his business.

Peridot noticed something off about Connie's demeanor as she poked at her pizza.

"Are you alright?" She asked her friend.

"I think so ... I just don't feel right," Connie started. "Maybe it's just stress from everything ... I don't know ..."

Peridot noted Connie's skin tone was suddenly lighter, more pallid. Her eyes barely hung open and, when she gently touched her, she felt almost feverish.

"Maybe we should head back to the Temple?"

"No ... I don't want to think about what's going on now. I don't want to think about what the Diamonds could do ... or the Alloys."

"Mmmph ... They would be crazy to try to mess with you," the Citrine finally spoke in between bites. "You're human ... I think. Most of Homeworld's holding cells aren't calibrated to your kind and so you could easily get out, destroy their ship ... and that's probably it. I don't think your kind can survive in space ... hmm ... But the Alloys? Yeah, you're pretty much screwed. We all are," she punctuated with a bite of another slice.

"Thanks, Citrine," Peridot groaned. She turned to look at Connie who did not look well at all. "I think I'm going to override your decision, Connie. You need to get some sleep."

As the three walked home, Peridot studied Connie subtly. She couldn't help but notice her physical state seemed very off. More than from stress. There was something else. She just couldn't quite place it yet.

When they arrived at the Beach House, most of the other gems had departed, off to do their own exploration of the surrounding area. Connie immediately went to Steven's bed and curled up under the blanket next to Steven. Garnet walked over to Peridot, her face fallen.

"How did it go?"

"Not well. Steven wanted to try and heal another gem and we had a setback," Garnet said, producing a bubbled, shattered Azurite. "This one didn't heal properly. We'll try it again next week, if we have time, but if we can't heal her, then we'll have had our first possible casualty."

Peridot looked up to the loft. No wonder the atmosphere had been so off. Perhaps that was why Connie was so low. She was feeling Steven's pain. She wondered if their connection from fusing was that strong. It usually didn't work that way with gems, but with Steven, who knew what was possible?

"Labradorite hasn't come back in since then," Garnet sighed. "I remember these two in battle. They were fierce and loyal to each other especially. We'll need to watch her and make sure she is alright."

She nodded and went outside. Garnet was about to follow her when she saw a path. She shot a look up to the loft.

 _No ... That can't be right ..._

 _It can't be ..._

 _Oh no ..._

Lapis watched Labradorite as she stayed curled below the Beach House steps. Lion had moved out from there, not enjoying all of the company from the other gems, so she was alone. Lapis wanted to walk to her, but she opted to just watch the gem from afar. Her head was bowed, her face hidden from view, but Lapis knew she was crying. She watched as Labradorite clutched the gem on her chest tightly as she cursed in the ancient language.

Instead of walking over to console her, Lapis watched, helplessly, as the Labradorite curled up even tighter.

There was nothing she could do.

 _He was floating, finding himself in his usual dream-walking state. He sighed, not wanting to deal with this right now._

 _Soon, he was pulled into the darkness, a sense of dread washing over him._

 _"Interesting ..." he heard a familiar voice chuckle. His blood ran cold. "You're a hybrid. I wondered about this ... It doesn't surprise me that Rose would do this. I am surprised that you are alive. I would have been certain that Jasper would have killed you ..."_

 _He did not want to be here. He did not want to be here at all. He wasn't even sure how she was able to talk with him. Most of the other gems that he had run into that were still shattered did not have coherent thoughts._

 _"So you refuse to look at me ... That's alright. You know, I suppose it serves me right, to just want to end your second attempt at a rebellion. But everything I threw at you was thwarted. If you had just let the cluster incubate, then this whole quadrant wouldn't be doomed. Sure, your planet would be gone, but your species - the one whose heritage you should be more proud of - would live on ... We can't even use this planet for kindergartens anymore because of you. I can sense the gems you've been healing. The gem energy on this planet is getting to be enough that they will come right for you ... and you won't have enough quartz soldiers or weapons to hold them off. Your planet is going to be involved in a war that there is now no chance of winning. It would have been a mercy kill to allow us to restart the kindergartens. Death is better than assimilation."_

 _He tried to claw his way out. He wanted nothing more that to escape._

The blessing came in the worst way possible as he was jarred awake by Connie leaping from the bed and rushing to the bathroom.

He sat in bed, mulling over what he had heard during his dream. He had refused to look at her, but he started to wonder if she was right. If there was any way to truly save the Earth from a threat he now knew was nearly unbeatable.

He was sitting in bed for about five minutes before he heard the retching. He made his way down the stairs and followed the sound to the bathroom.

 _Connie._

He waited and watched the minutes tick by. After about 20 minutes, he heard the toilet flush, the sink turn on, and the water run for a while. The water was shut off and Connie emerged looking ragged.

"Are you alright?" Steven asked.

"I think I might have eaten too much with Peridot," she lied. "Or the fish isn't sitting well with me ... Shall we head back to bed?" Connie asked.

Steven nodded and followed Connie to his bed. He curled up behind her, holding her close, and nestled his face into her hair as she quickly fell asleep. Steven was not as lucky. He couldn't help but shake the feeling that something was terribly off. She felt much warmer than normal, yet she shivered in his embrace. He went through several scenarios in his head, but kept arriving back at stress. That seemed to make the most sense to him.

 _She could see the pink fluffy clouds again. The atmosphere was soothing and calm, light music playing on the breeze._

 _She could happily stay here forever if she had to._

 _She could feel a glow again and turned to see the gem shard on the ground. The same one from the dream she had only a few days ago. She leaned down to pick it up. As she held it, it began to melt into her hand, covering her with the same glow that it emitted. She wasn't sure what was happening and was sure that this should be frightening, but it was not. It was calming and wonderful._

 _"Connie?"_

 _She turned to see Steven._

 _"Are you dream walking?" she asked._

 _"I think so ... Interesting dream."_

 _"Heh, yeah. I think this has been on my mind a lot lately ..."_

 _She felt the dream shift around her._

 _"I don't want to talk to any more gems tonight ..." he started. "I saw her ..."_

 _Connie knew, without even asking, who he meant._

 _"Oh Steven ..."_

 _"I'm worried that she was right ..."_

The next morning, Garnet had called Pearl, Amethyst, and Peridot into the Burning Room. She had to share her vision with someone, even if there was nothing to be done.

"Would it maybe stop them from testing on them?" Amethyst asked.

"Doubtful ... I can only see one positive outcome and it's a long shot. An extremely long shot," Garnet replied. "I mean, there is one thing we don't have to worry about at all, but that hardly helps us."

"So, what do we do?" Peridot asked.

"We need to protect them. If this is really what is happening, then they need us ... and they may need to get as far away from here as possible-" Pearl started.

"It will never work," Garnet sighed. "Steven would never let us fight alone and Connie won't let Steven fight without her. I just don't know what to do ..."

"When will we know for sure? What should we be looking for?" Peridot asked.

"I'm afraid we won't know until the Diamonds arrive ... We need to find a way to stall them ... or keep them on Earth. Connie won't survive the trip, that is a guarantee. And Steven won't survive that …"

Peridot curled in on herself.

"Were we wrong? Should we have just let the Diamonds blow up the Earth?"

"No. We can still turn this around!" Amethyst cried. "I don't know how, but we have to try!"

Garnet sighed. She just couldn't see this working out.

She wondered if she should let them know of the other vision she had seen. She decided against it, so as not to worry them even more.

The Larimar really wanted to run tests on the bubbled Alloy.

She really did.

She watched as it writhed and surged around the bubble, melting and reforming.

She sighed and went back to her work of studying the notes on humans. She needed to make sure that there was food and oxygen in the ship (something that was not common to gem warships). She also needed to make sure that there would be supplies in case something happened to fully threaten the lives of her test subjects. She had never been able to study a human before, so this was certainly exciting.

The allure of studying an Alloy was even greater.

She looked away from the bubble. Perhaps a walk would help calm her down.

The ship had been stalled in the travel for repairs, the Peridots being assigned to making sure that no other Alloys had stowed away. If they had, then this entire mission would be jeopardized. Blue Diamond had hoped that this would not affect their ability to arrive before the other two Diamonds. Occasionally, she would hear her talking about a "Pink Diamond", someone who was never mentioned on Homeworld. Some wondered if she even existed or was just used as a cautionary tale.

She continued on her way, running into a few Peridots that were busying themselves with checking on different parts of the ship. Rumors floated through the air of a communication leak from White Diamond's ship. How they had stopped to check on a colony and were nearing the arm of the target galaxy, preparing to lay waste to the remaining Crystal Gems. There were huffs as they secretly questioned the importance of this mission. Larimar wondered how many of them were truly aware of the marvel that they were about to discover.

 _A gem hybrid! How exciting!_

But the allure of the Alloy was almost as strong.

She found herself wandering towards the bridge again. She knew better than to bother Blue Diamond now, but she couldn't avoid the nagging feeling. She wanted to study the Alloy so badly. She raised her palm towards the access panel and stopped.

No. She wasn't that foolish. Not after everything that had happened on this journey.

Steven had been healing gems for the past three hours. Tonight, he would try to speak to some while dream-walking, but until then, he was mending shards. He watched as Garnet would arrive with bubble after bubble, several inert gems littering the room. He knew that the Diamonds arriving was serious and that this could signal the end for Connie and himself, but he secretly felt as if Garnet was going overboard.

Connie was laying on the bed, tired and weak. Steven would occasionally take a break from trying to heal gems to spend time next to Connie who claimed food poisoning (which surprised Steven because Fish Stew Pizza was usually reliable). He watched her shiver on the bed during his latest trip up and gently placed a hand on her shoulder.

Her skin was scalding to the touch.

"Connie?" he asked.

She curled up even tighter, not wanting to respond.

Garnet watched the scene and grimaced. She wasn't sure if her next suggestion would work (it was only a forty percent probability), but she had to try. She had to try for so many reasons.

She walked up to the loft and sat next to Steven.

"Perhaps you should try healing her another way ..." She smiled.

"What do you mean?" He asked. "I've been using my own healing powers and she's still like this."

"Do what Ruby did for Sapphire," Garnet started. "Whatever is going on, she might need your strength."

"This isn't food poisoning, is it?" Steven asked.

"I don't know what it is," Garnet half-lied. "But I do know that this has a chance at succeeding for her."

Steven nodded and gently lifted Connie's head. She stared into his eyes.

Not a word needed to be spoken, not a dance move performed. Garnet watched as they phased into each other, leaving Stevonnie on the bed.

"Woah ... That does not feel good," they stated.

"Are you able to tell what is wrong?" Garnet asked.

"No. Never felt this way before ... I don't think either of them know either."

 _Of course. Connie wouldn't know and Steven wouldn't have any idea ... he wouldn't know the first thing about this ..._

"Hmm ... how long do you think you could be stable?" Garnet asked.

"I dunno. I've been here a lot more lately, so I suppose I could stay stable for as long as I'm needed," Stevonnie smiled. "They don't unfuse at the drop of a hat or inappropriate comment of Amethyst anymore."

Garnet chuckled.

"So you don't know what this is either?" Stevonnie asked.

Garnet shrugged.

The two fusions sat in silence on the bed, Stevonnie trying to find out what was going on inside them.

A fear ran through them. Connie could be dying. Perhaps she had gotten some strange disease and was going to die.

 _I'm not dying. I don't know what is going on, but I know I'll get better soon._

 _I hope so ..._

She had only set foot in this galaxy once. A thrill ran through her the closer her ship got.

When she had heard about the disappearance of White Diamond on Earth, she first thought of it as a terrifying place. A place where gems could not possible survive. How could such a primitive species have so much control over a gem? And over the famous Rose Quartz who had turned rebel? Who had renounced her title and essentially renounced her species.

She had a hard time getting as mad over Rose Quartz as any Yellow Diamond did, much less the new one, but she did feel betrayed by her, nonetheless.

 _I suppose that if it weren't for her, I wouldn't be in the position I'm in now,_ she thought.

She turned to look at her Pearl who stood faithfully by her side. She remembered stories of the Rose Quartz's Pearl. A terrifying sight to behold on the battlefield, especially if you came too near Rose Quartz. She wondered if this Pearl was still alive.

She wished she could meet the actual Rose Quartz instead of this supposed hybrid. She sighed, reclining in her seat as the ship neared the outskirts of the solar system.

The communicator in the armrest of her chair glowed. She sighed and responded, seeing the new Yellow Diamond glare into the screen.

"We're being followed!" she grumbled.

"Well, what did you expect? You left your Pearl to tell Blue Diamond you were doing this. Did you really think she wouldn't come after us?" The Diamond laughed. "I think this will be fun. We can race her to the planet and wipe out the Crystal Gems before she can land and ruin this for us. We'll be able to finally create an endless supply of Amethysts to take on the enemy at our base in K-66. We can beat them back if we do this right."

"I don't want her involved in this at all!" came the reply. "She doesn't understand these gems like I do. There will be no reasoning with them."

White Diamond sighed. She was just as difficult to deal with as the previous one.

 _Perhaps this was a bad idea ..._


	18. Mother and Child

A/N: So, stuff is about to get intense again in this chapter. I narrowly avoided body horror or character death ... barely.

Stevonnie is weakening and the Diamonds are nearing.

Honestly, I think this deserves an Achievement ... Achievement Unlocked: You were somewhat nice this chapter - good job!

But seriously, I apologize. However, I want a show of hands, after reading this chapter, of people who "called it" and how early it was called. Earliest so far is Chapter 15, called by a regular to the stream. You'll understand after this chapter.

Either the next chapter or the one after that will be the end of Part 2, beginning of Part 3. It is also my crossroads moment. I'm not sure if I'm going to take this a completely dark route or not.

(Also, I'm going to be going back and making some minor edits to earlier chapters - mostly formatting stuff)

Thank you for all of the reviews, faves, and follows and thanks for sticking with this so far! We aren't done yet!

-Four Faces

* * *

It didn't matter how many times she saw them. She would probably never get used to them.

Peridot had called from Steven's phone saying she needed to come to Beach City and check on Connie. It had been an hour of fighting through traffic, but Priyanka and Doug arrived to the Beach House to see a strange, dark green gem seated on the steps. She was shoveling a bag of Chaaaps into her mouth.

"Steven must have healed the Crystal Gems' army," Priyanka mused.

"Would Peridot have called us to come and see that though?" Doug asked as they began to walk up the steps.

When they walked into the Beach House, Priyanka gasped, watching Stevonnie as they sat, curled up and sobbing. Garnet sat next to them, rubbing circles on their back as Peridot watched helplessly.

"Connie?" Priyanka started as she rushed over to the pair of fusions. Doug was not far behind, concerned for his daughter.

"They're trying to help each other through this. There is a chance that something might be going on with Connie, but there won't be a way of knowing for at least a week,"Garnet started. "By that time, the Diamond Authority will have arrived."

"What happened?" Doug started, kneeling near the fusion.

"I feel so sick ..."Stevonnie whimpered. "And weak ..."

"Steven fused with Connie to keep some of the strain of whatever is happening off of her," Peridot started, "But it seems to be getting worse."

Priyanka lifted up Stevonnie's head, gently, and looked into their eyes. She could see the pain and sadness in them. She felt helpless, watching what was partially her daughter suffering. Garnet sighed and rose up from the couch.

"I will be right back."

She was gone before anyone could ask her why she was leaving. Instead of retreating to the burning room, she went outside and up onto the roof. She huddled, hugging her legs close to her body.

 _You can't know that this is certain._

 _It is 80 percent probable._

 _But ... I can't let this happen to you. I can't lose you …_

 _We won't lose them, though._

 _There has to be another way._

The fusion split with a pop.

"I can't see a future where we exist. I can't. It's either Connie - and by proxy, Steven - or it's us ... There's a slim possibility, but I can't see it!" Sapphire cried. "And I don't want either of us to lose Steven."

"But ... with 80 percent, that still means that there's a 20 percent chance that something else will happen ... Maybe this can still work!"

"I don't know …"

"We need to tell them! None of the futures showed us telling them! If we do, then maybe it will all work out!" Ruby started. "We have to try!"

Sapphire considered this. She went over all of the possible scenarios.

"We can let the rest of the gems know ... but I don't want to over-burden Connie and Steven with are dealing with enough as it is. And like you said, we can't know that this is certain," Sapphire smiled sadly before taking her lover's hands. They twirled around each other, leaning in for a kiss as they phased back into Garnet.

 _This may be the last time …_

 _She had been concerned ever since her daughter came home talking about the boy she met on the beach. She wasn't sure she was comfortable with her having a male friend. She warily allowed her to hang out with Steven since she had trouble making friends anyway._

 _She was especially concerned when she met Steven's guardians. Learning he was half gem was difficult, but she slowly came to accept him._

 _Peridot was the most worrying, with everything that Steven and Connie had told her in the past. It was not surprising that she watched Peridot and Connie like a hawk when Peridot came over to Connie's house one day, ahead of Steven, to hang out with Connie in her room. She wasn't sure yet if this gem was truly safe for Connie to be around (and she certainly wasn't sure on her age - she looked close to Connie's age, but she knew she could easily be hundreds of years old with all of the explanations Steven had given). She had been awkward at first, not certain of proper human customs (and accidentally offended Doug on one occasion), but she kept her mind open, like she did with all things Steven._

 _Slowly, she warmed up to the gem, even if the gem did call her "The Mom" for several months._

 _It had been after the interception of the transmission to Homeworld that Priyanka found Peridot standing on the doorstep, dejected and heartbroken. She invited the gem in, letting her know that Steven had taken Connie somewhere on his pet Lion (which was still so strange to her). Peridot didn't want to see either of them. She had wanted to see Priyanka._

 _She let the gem in and invited her to sit on the couch while she made something for her to calm her nerves. She had started a tea kettle boiling when she heard sobbing from the living room. She returned to see the green gem curled up in the fetal position on the couch._

 _"Peridot?"_

 _"This is all my fault," she heard the gem's muffled voice say. "I angered Yellow Diamond ... I angered the whole Diamond Authority. If I hadn't called attention to myself, then no one would be in danger ..."_

 _Priyanka sat next to the gem and tentatively placed a hand on her back. Peridot flinched slightly at the touch before relaxing. She had heard a little bit about the current issue with a transmission to some Diamond Authority, but she resolved to not get involved in gem matters. It seemed that her daughter was becoming more than capable of handling herself._

 _It worried her, though, seeing Peridot, a former enemy, curled up on her couch sobbing. What was her daughter getting into now? Whatever it was, there was no point in stopping her. She would fight by Steven's side no matter what she did. She was surprised that Connie had not reacted in this way. She wasn't sure if the gravity of the situation just hadn't hit her daughter or if there was something more that the gem wasn't saying._

 _The kettle began to whistle and Priyanka rose to pour the water, soon bringing a tea cup to Peridot who was uncurling from her ball._

 _"So ... is this what a 'mom' does?" Peridot asked after a long silence. "They care for others? For their offspring or their friends?"_

 _Priyanka smiled and nodded._

 _Peridot had at first thought that Steven had meant a figure like Yellow Diamond when he mentioned his own mom. Some nebulous figure who planned out their whole life for you. Someone who had total control of your fate. Cold. Callous. Driven by logic. It had confused her when he spoke of his mother in such kind terms. Granted, she was devoted to Yellow Diamond at the time, but it was a devotion of fear - of hoping that Yellow Diamond would react favorably toward anything that she worked on rather than break her._

 _She was starting to understand._

 _"I wish I had known ... I'm still learning, I guess," the green gem smiled sardonically._

 _"Learning is all part of living on Earth," Priyanka laughed, gently bringing the gem in for a hug._

 _Two years ago, Peridot would have recoiled from any touch from a human. Now, she understood the need for tactile communication in this species. She reciprocated the hug, holding tight onto Priyanka._

 _When Connie and Steven came back to Connie's house, they found Priyanka rocking the snoozing gem, humming a lullaby that Connie had not heard in ages._

The lullaby echoed through Stevonnie's mind as Priyanka hummed it once again, Peridot remaining at her side to comfort the mother.

Blue Diamond's Peridot felt a thrill of excitement race through her as they dropped out of warp speed, traveling past Jupiter. Soon, they would reach Earth and Blue Diamond would be pleased with her. That was all that any Peridot wanted.

She looked over at the chair that Blue Diamond was seated in. The gem's face was twinged with concern as they navigated through the asteroid belt past Jupiter.

"I hope we aren't too late," the Diamond finally spoke.

"I haven't intercepted any other communications, but I'm sure that if we arrived last, we would never hear the end of it," the Peridot offered, reassuringly.

Blue Diamond smiled. She had forgone formalities the longer that this trip took which had led to quite the rapport on the ship with the other gems. She was learning certain hobbies that the other gems had kept themselves occupied with when there was down time, something that a Diamond would not usually care about.

Her mind occasionally drifted to her Pearl who would stand, mute, waiting for orders.

She also wondered if she would be able to return to the formality of Homeworld after this mission was over.

"When we reach Earth's orbit, I'll put up all of the shielding, just in case there's an ambush set to stop us," the Peridot continued. "Not that there have been any quartz that could take your place back on Homeworld. It would be foolish of the other Diamonds to do anything to you, but you never know with the new Yellow Diamond. I don't think she cares about upsetting the balance of the Diamond Authority. She just wants revenge."

"Just like the Yellow Diamond before her," Blue Diamond chuckled. "Yellow Diamonds always seem to act this way, don't they?"

"They certainly do."

There was silence on the bridge as Mars appeared. The red planet signaled the end of their journey. Soon, they would begin the most important discovery in gem history.

Blue Diamond shuddered in anticipation.

Even in the fusion, Steven had seen the dream of the gem shard that Connie had.

Several times in fact.

She was almost in a dormant state after fusing, barely contributing to the conversation that was Stevonnie. He worried, wondering what could be causing this.

A jolt of fear went through him, but itwas quickly tamped down.

There's no way …

He had to keep Stevonnie going to save her. He wondered if this was what it felt like for Lapis, holding Malachite together with the weight of the ocean.

This was different though. He wanted to hold this together to keep Connie together.

He wasn't sure how long this would last or how useful they would be in battle.

They would have to try, regardless. He felt some relief in knowing that, if the worst happened, they would truly face it together.

Stevonnie's gem seemed to glow brightly. They weren't sure why, as normally this would signify a weapon being summoned or Rose's Room opening to them, but this was different. Priyanka had stayed at the Beach House overnight, tendingto the fusion. She often wondered if this was safe (when she first saw Stevonnie, she nearly had a heart attack), but now she knew this was the best option. She was due to leave in the morning, but she didn't want to leave her daughter and her friend. She wanted to be there for them.

Before she left, she cradled Stevonnie on Steven's bed, singing a lullaby to both Steven and Connie, hoping that they heard as well.

She turned to look at them one more time before leaving. She was not sure when she would be back, needing to pull a double shift at the hospital.

She hoped that the Diamonds would not arrive before she could return.

Peridot watched as Priyanka left and made her way up to Stevonnie. She could sense it now. She knew.

"I'm so sorry ..." Peridot whispered. "We didn't know this could happen. You need to fight,Connie ... Please ..." Peridot whispered.

"Wha?" Stevonnie asked, delirious. Peridot wasn't sure if Connie was finally in control or if Stevonnie was asking her, but she smiled sadly.

"Garnet thinks if you know, then it will affect you even more negatively ... that you won't be able to handle it. But I won't be able to handle losing either of you,"Peridot whimpered, holding onto Stevonnie's hand. "She said it's only a possibility, but it seems to be more certain now ..."

Stevonnie couldn't hear the next thing Peridot said, drifting into unconsciousness as the fusion started to fall apart.

"We're almost there," White Diamond's Peridot announced. "I predict landfall in one cycle."

"Excellent. We'll stay in orbit until we get confirmation that Yellow Diamond's fleet has arrived. Then we can begin taking back this planet and its resources. We'll be that much closer to winning the war against the Alloys," White Diamond preened.

The Peridot smiled, happy to have been praised by her Diamond. She watched as they jetted past Mars, Earth's moon and the Earth slowly coming into view.

She was glad to be on White Diamond's ship. She never did like the other two diamonds. Blue Diamond was too cold, too secretive ... too caught up in her own studies. While a Peridot could relate, with Blue Diamond, it was almost overwhelming. Yellow Diamonds were always too brash and violent for her tastes. She enjoyed a good battle as much as any other gem, but she did not enjoy the temper that seemed to run through every Yellow Diamond (and indeed through any gems under her employ).

White Diamond was a perfect balance for her. She wasn't too easily angered and she wasn't always tucked away in study (or expecting the same of her). She occasionally longed for the days when a White Diamond had been in full control of the Authority. It had been thousands of years, long before any Peridots were even researched, but she longed for those days just the same.

The Peridot busied herself with the reports from Yellow Diamond. A Gem hybrid was among the ranks of the Crystal Gems and there were only five actual gems left. A Peridot (easy to handle), a fusion (a destabilizer would work fine), an Amethyst who was incubated too long, and a Pearl (barely a gem, but there were horror stories told of her from the War), plus the Rose Quartz hybrid that survived a mortal injury. This should be easy.

She wasn't sure why they needed an entire fleet.

She had heard murmurs from the crew about the Sapphires predicting something. She wasn't sure how true it was, but it was better to be safe than sorry, she supposed.

She turned her attention to the small blue planet that was growing closer.

A thrill went through her. She had never been on Earth. She was excited to finally experience it.

 _She was beautiful._

 _He watched her sit on the dock, reading as ships passed in the distance. They were supposed to meet here for lunch, but he was early. He watched her, spellbound. He knew, even now, that he felt something for her. Something more than just friendship._

 _The sun shone down, creating a halo on the brim of her sun hat. She smiled, turning the page and continuing on, unaware of Steven's presence._

 _He wanted to remember this forever. He pulled out his phone, turning on the camera._

 _Click!_

 _She hadn't quite noticed him yet, still engrossed in her book._

 _He could hear Amethyst's joking tone in his head._

 _You like her._

 _Yeah ... I think I do ..._

 _He went to take another picture as he came closer to her._

 _Connie looked back and saw Steven. She grinned in surprise._

 _Click!_

 _She turned and made a face._

 _Click!_

 _The pair laughed, Connie greeting Steven with a hug before flipping back through the photos._

 _"Oh, I look awful in that one," she laughed._

 _"I think you look pretty in it," Steven blushed as Connie looked at one of the photos on his phone._

 _She blushed in return and raised the phone above their faces, pulling Steven close._

 _"We should take one together. Then you can send it to me!" She laughed. "It's only fair since you have so many of me."_

 _Steven had these photos saved to a separate folder that he backed up every time he got a new phone. He looked to them whenever he needed to remember what he was fighting for. He remembered flipping through these photos when he thought he would have to stop seeing her to keep her safe. She insisted that they stay friends. That she wanted to be a part of his universe._

 _He never wanted her to be hurt ..._

 _Especially not like this ..._

Steven was awakened by a pink glow. He wasn't sure where it was coming from, but it hurt his head as his vision returned. He shook his head to bring the world into focus, looking down at his gem to see if it was glowing, trying to show him some unseen power.

There was no glow coming from him. This brought reality back to him. He was no longer fused. He and Connie were separated.

He didn't want to look.

You have to, eventually ...

He groggily turned around to see Connie. Next to her was a horrified Peridot, staring down at her abdomen.

"Steven?" the green gem began to ask.

He followed Peridot's line of sight to see the source of the glow and gasped.

"Oh no ..."

Greg remembered Rose talking to him before she told him she wanted a child. He remembered her saying that she could have a completely human child, that she was capable of it. He remembered that she wanted to create a hybrid. A bridge between the species.

He had argued with her for days on end, trying to convince her to change her mind. In the end, nothing could be changed about it. He instead started asking what their child would be like.

She had wanted a son. Someone who could continue to pass on the gem but without giving up his form. She wasn't sure how it would work, but she had consulted Garnet and there had been a forty percent chance that her son could pass on the gem without any casulaties. Garnet had warned her that forty percent was still risky. Rose was confident. Greg was not. He knew he was going to lose the woman he loved more than anyone in the world. He didn't want to risk losing his son as well, either in death or to grief.

As Greg listened to his son crying over the phone, he felt that horrible feeling all over again.

Rose had restarted the Kindergarten with Steven.

He was listening to Steven the entire way to the Beach House, keeping him on the phone as long as he could. He thought of any possible way to help out the couple and came up empty.

When he arrived and ran through the door, he was greeted by Steven, wrapping his arms tightly around his shoulders, sobbing into his dad's hair.

"I don't know what to do! I didn't mean for this to happen!" He cried out.

Peridot watched, helpless and still grabbing tightly onto Connie's hand. She hadn't witnessed the death of a planet with sentient life on it, but she knew what the creation of gems tended to do to a planet. She didn't want this to happen with her first fully human friend.

"Have you tried Rose's fountain, bud?" Greg asked.

"I don't know how it could work. My spit hasn't done anything for her and I don't think that it is the same sort of injury. I would never have ... I didn't know ..."

Greg held his sobbing son tightly. He tried to not remember his own sadness in losing Rose. He knew how hard this had to be.

He went up to the bedroom with Steven, helping him into a sitting position next to Connie.

"Whatever happens bud, we'll do this together ... If every pork chop were perfect ..."

Steven didn't reply, head bowed as his shoulders heaved with sobs.

"I should have noticed ... I should have realized ..."

"There isn't much of a precedence for this, Stu-ball," Greg started. "I mean, yes you're a hybrid, but we don't know that this will really kill her ... right?"

"I don't know, dad," Steven whispered. "She's creating a gem ... and gems tend to use up all of the life force around them when they incubate ..."

Greg sat next to Steven and wrapped an arm around his shoulder.

"You said though that she was acting different ... feeling different. That had to be before, right?"

"... Yeah ..."

"Just be here for her, bud. She needs you to be strong for her. And I'll stay here until the rest of the gems get here ... and longer if you need it."

Steven nodded, hugging his dad before turning back to Connie and planting a kiss on her lips. He leaned in to whisper in her ear.

"I love you, Connie ... I'll be here when you wake up ..."

Greg, Steven and Peridot waited around Connie's bed, Greg and Steven eventually succumbing to exhaustion and falling asleep while Peridot stood watch, waiting for Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl to return.

Connie, meanwhile, was starting to slowly regain color.


	19. Landfall

A/N: This is the longest chapter so far, but I could not find a spot where I wanted to stop it until what is currently the end of it. And this one is a doozy.

Some content warnings (character death, pregnancy mention) and someone gets called a clod.

This chapter received some of the best commentary out of all of the in the stream. Especially at two certain parts near the end.

Thank you all again for the reviews (and I apologize for any spit out drinks). The next chapter will be the last for this part of the fic, so I'll possibly be taking a break in between to edit the earlier parts before I post any of chapters 21 onward. I'm having a divergent point coming up with the next chapter and have posted a poll regarding it. I have both diverging paths planned out but I can't decide which I like better. Both paths will end in the same place, ultimately.

Feel free to review and vote in the poll!

-Four Faces

* * *

Buck, Jenny, and Sour Cream sat at the top of the hill in Lighthouse park. After the Desert Glass had been bubbled, Sour Cream had been updated by the two of them on the events that had taken place in Beach City. The three had expected training to resume but soon realized that the gems were trying to revive their shattered army. Sour Cream knew it was for the best that they didn't train, however. Jenny was still shaken up and Buck had become even quieter now. Onion was slowly starting to forgive himself, but it would be risky to let him near any of the gems that had been emerging.

He stared out over the ocean, wistfully, as Buck lay in his lap and Jenny played with his hair.

"You know, Ronaldo would have had a field day with this," Sour Cream chuckled.

"Yeah, but I think it's better that he's been in Keystone. This might have made his head explode," Jenny laughed.

"Lars probably wouldn't mind," Buck murmured sardonically.

Sour Cream grinned and leaned his head on Jenny's shoulder.

"I wonder when it will be safe to check on Steven and the Gems?" he asked.

"They'll let us know ... or they'll tell us to evacuate."

They heard a rustling behind them. All three heads whipped around to see a dark blue woman with golden eyes. Her hair was short, clipped tight, and seemed to have a golden sheen in its' dark green hue. She looked at the pair, her eyes sad and pained. In between her eyes was a polished, Labradorite. She clutched something in her hands.

"I'm sorry to intrude ..." She started. "I wanted to come up here to think, but ..."

"No, come on and sit down," Sour Cream smiled, welcoming her to the group. "You must be one of the Crystal Gems."

"Well, I was thousands of years ago ... I suppose I still am. I just needed to get away for a while," she started, looking down at her clasped hands.

Buck nodded and continued to look out at the ocean.

They did not notice Labradorite look down at her hands, sadly, the glint of the sun catching the broken gem.

"I don't like being reminded of it, but it's all around me down there. Everything's changed too ... Rose is apparently gone, the messenger is one of us now ... and there's a Peridot ... We didn't have those yet ..."

Jenny looked over to see the gem in Labradorite's hand. She met eyes with the blue gem and instantly knew.

The four sat, looking out at the ocean.

She knew it was going to be risky. She was aware that there was a chance that she was not going to survive this.

She didn't care. She would do this for the Crystal Gems.

For Steven.

For Connie.

She could recall, when necessary, the schematics of a Diamond ship. She would need a distraction, but with half of the army healed, she could possibly slip in without being noticed.

The plan was simple. Strand the Diamond Authority on Earth in such a way that they would have to negotiate with the Crystal Gems. Connie and Steven could not leave Earth, especially with Connie's condition (which confused and horrified the green gem). The Diamonds would have to stay on Earth to find out whatever they needed, and they could not leave with the human or hybrid. Peridot was certain that this part of the plan could work if she could get onto the ship unseen.

That would be the hard part.

She had not mastered shape shifting like Amethyst did, so transforming into something inconspicuous was out of the question. While she had not had a "cat fingers" incident (which she had only heard about and was appropriately horrified, not leaving Steven's side for several days and occasionally making sure that he did not have any cat heads appearing on his body - Seriously, Rose? This is not making hybrids seem like a good idea at all if they are prone to accidents like this!) she was still afraid to attempt any shape shifting. That was a trait best mastered by Quartz soldiers. She would have to rely on a distraction which would hinge on all of the other gems.

She was not sure if they would have access to Steven's shield this time.

She had noticed he hadn't left Connie's side. She could not blame him, understanding the emotions he felt and knowing the pain of it. The last time Amethyst had poofed, it had caused immense heartache for the green gem.

At the very least, Connie seemed to be doing better. She was still mostly unresponsive, but her color gradually returned. One night, Steven had heard her rasping for breath and his cries had alerted the green gem who took to staying at the bottom of the stairs, keeping watch over the Beach House.

She had originally planned on using Labradorite to help her get in, but the gem was no where to be seen. Steven had tried to heal Azurite once every night, but the gem remained inert. Occasionally, a hand would try to form, glitch, and then disappear.

The worst sign was when Steven had another dream walking incident with the express purpose of finding and reviving Azureite.

She was gone. There was no sign of the gem.

Steven was certain she had been corrupted beyond repair and that the damage had been too great. When he showed Labradorite the inert gem one final time, Labradorite had taken it and left the temple without a word.

This had been about an hour ago and Peridot was finished looking for Labradorite. She would have to figure this out by herself.

"They used to be the technician gem," she had grumbled to Amethyst while she began working out a device to disable a ship. "Granted, Peridots essentially replaced them, but still ... I would think she would be throwing herself into her work now instead of disappearing to who knows where!"

"Not everyone deals with stress the same way, Peri," Amethyst smiled, sadly. "And according to Garnet, they had been partners since before the War.

Peridot sighed and continued work.

"I just don't want the Diamonds to win," she started. "I don't want them experimenting on Steven and Connie either. You never saw what the experiments entailed. They're going to essentially torture them to death. There's no way they are surviving ... and with Connie in the state she has been in ..."

Amethyst's face fell. Peridot was completely right. They had one shot at this and if it failed, they were all dead.

"How has Connie been doing?" Amethyst asked.

In all honesty, Amethyst was hesitant to go anywhere near Connie. She felt a twinge of guilt every time she saw the pink glow from her abdomen.

She was essentially a living Kindergarten now. A reminder of where the purple gem was from. Of the bad things that her kind had done before.

She still made the attempt if Steven asked her to come.

She hadn't been there when Rose gave up her form ...

... She wasn't making that mistake again.

"I wish I could say she is improving," Peridot started, "but she is still not responding. I've been told this is not normal for human pregnancies .. I'm afraid -"

"That the gem is sucking the life out of her," Amethyst finished.

Both of the gems stayed silent. Peridot didn't want to remind Amethyst of her dark origins in a Kindergarten. Of every gem's origins.

"Have you thought at all about how we're going to approach them with our terms?" Peridot started.

"I'm hoping that Garnet can do it. She's better at pretending to be diplomatic than I am. If she would just unfuse for this ... I mean, we all agreed that Sapphire would be the better gem to do this out of all of us, but they are refusing. I can kind of understand, but this is for Steven ..."

Peridot nodded.

The screen door swung open and the two gems looked up to see Labradorite standing in the doorway holding Azurite's gem. She was trembling, a tear threatening to fall down her tear stained cheek.

"Alright ... Peridot, you can use this one. Just use her for something I can wield," the heartbroken gem said.

Landfall was imminent.

White Diamond watched through the view screen as they neared Earth. She kept the communication lines with Yellow Diamond's fleet open. She was eager to get started, but she knew it would be foolish to start the invasion without her.

She looked over to her Pearl who gazed out, eyes wide, at the blue planet. She could imagine that, if her Pearl could think for herself, she would be amazed by the strangeness of the planet. Indeed, it was amazing. White Diamond had visited colonies before, but none of them had so much organic life on it. She was pleased that Jasper had convinced the previous Yellow Diamond to rethink just destroying the planet. She was eager to see how the resources could be used.

She turned to her Peridot who was busy triple checking the weapons systems on the ship. The gem was not concerned with the planet. She was only concerned with her work.

Just as a Peridot should be.

Her mind drifted to the Peridot on Earth. She wondered how a Peridot could become so defective, so disobedient. It worried her, in a way.

She was still glad, however, that Yellow Diamond had not destroyed all of the Peridots like she had with the Labradorites.

After all, the Peridot on Earth was a fluke.

 _Everything had been pink for as long as she could remember._

 _She didn't know where she was or what was going on. All she could see were the pink clouds._

 _She began to start forward again, trying to find a way out._

 _She had to be dreaming. That was the only explanation._

 _She saw the shard again. It seemed to feel even more alive than it had before._

 _There was an instinct, bubbling forward. An instinct to survive._

 _She felt herself slip deeper into the calm of the room. An amorphous being, made of light, started to form around the shard._

 _Connie gasped. She knew now what was happening ... what this was._

 _She almost wanted to succumb, just to bring this being forth. She stopped herself, however. She knew it would crush Steven._

 _But, if I survive, she thought, then this being might not ..._

 _She thought she could feel another presence. One that should not have been possible, especially in her own inner world._

 _"You can both survive, but you need to channel that energy ..."_

 _In a way, she knew what the voice meant. She had known that she had been permanently altered by Steven anyway, from his healing to fusing with the hybrid. It had left trace changes. Changes that were building up._

 _She was not a gem. She knew that._

 _But she still seemed to have some of that information passed onto her. She needed to learn how to regenerate. How to rewrite her own body._

 _It seemed impossible, but she hoped it was not. She needed to survive, for both Steven and this gem._

 _Her child._

Priyanka nearly dropped the phone when Steven told her.

She had worried about letting Connie stay with him so much. She worried that something would happen to her.

Not this, however. Even thinking that her daughter giving in to her thoughts about her friend was a possibility, she didn't think this could kill her.

She wished now that she had asked more about Gem biology. She had figured, assuming that Steven was a hybrid, that this wouldn't have been an issue anyway.

That's a foolish thought, Priyanka. Steven's half gem, himself. How else could that have happened?

She did not want to tell Doug. She didn't want him to know. He would most likely say or do something he would regret later. She had to keep this a secret.

Luckily, he was on a long guard shift so Priyanka was able to leave the house without him asking where she was going.

She needed to see this for herself.

The drive to Beach City felt longer than it ever had. She played every possible scenario in her mind. Connie could be dead by the time she got there. She could end up losing her calm around Steven and make things worse.

She didn't want to think of all of the possibilities, but they kept playing in her head. As she drove through downtown Beach City, she could see a few cars quickly pulling over to the side of the road. She glanced around, first, wondering if the Mayor's election-mobile was coming down the road.

She noticed the drivers getting out of their cars, staring up at the sky.

She looked up and gasped.

Pearl walked in to see Peridot working furiously over a weapon, cobbled together from junk from Amethyst's room while Amethyst sat near her.

"What's going on?" Pearl asked.

Amethyst gestured over to Labradorite. The blue gem was seated on the couch, watching Peridot work with a blank stare. She wrung her hands, occasionally, watching the gem work.

"Did she?"

"Yeah ..."

Pearl covered her mouth, her heart breaking for the gem. So many had come out of being shattered and corrupted and this Azurite was gone now. She wanted to comfort her, but couldn't bring herself to walk over. She simply watched as Peridot finished the weapon, looking it over before sighing. The weapon was small and cylindrical, the Azurite gem embedded in the handle.

"It's done. It's like the blasters in those shows Connie and Steven watch. Homeworld had something similar ... It channels the energy from the gem inside out at the target and should easily poof them. I was worried I wouldn't be able to make this, but Amethyst had some interesting junk in her room from the ship we crashed so many years ago." Peridot handed the blaster over to Labradorite. "I'm not sure what happens after ... I like to think that she'll be able to sense you and will do whatever she can to protect you."

Labradorite smiled sadly and then looked up at Peridot.

"Thank you," she smiled before leaving the Beach House, weapon in hand.

Peridot breathed a sigh of relief and slumped to the floor.

"I was so worried she wasn't going to like it," she explained.

They heard heavy footfalls coming down the stairs and turned to see Steven making his way down the stairs.

"I called Connie's mom and told her. She needs to know," he sighed. "She might even be able to help ... maybe..."

Pearl smiled sadly.

"You're right, Steven. She might be able to help her. After all, she knows more about human biology than any of us."

Steven sniffled and nodded before sitting down on the couch.

"I mean ... I thought about it before. Marrying Connie, having kids ... I just didn't think this could be a possibility. I suppose it makes sense ... I just didn't want to believe it could happen," he mumbled. "I had told her a couple of the wishes for the future I had - before all this happened - and she loved it. Thought it would be a good idea after this new skirmish ended."

Amethyst walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You had no idea that this could happen, Stee-man. I mean, you're the only gem hybrid out there. You didn't know that this could happen. It's literally the worst case scenario -"

"And it happened," Steven said, emotionlessly.

He couldn't feel any more emotion. It would shatter him. He had to shut down now. He had condemned the love of his life to death in the worst way he could imagine. He wasn't sure if she even knew what was happening.

They were interrupted by Garnet bursting through the Temple door.

"They're going to make landfall tomorrow!" She cried out. "They're in orbit now. Whatever preparations we need to make, we need to do them tonight. And if we're going to hide Connie ..."

Pearl and Peridot leaped into action, running out the door to gather the rest of their army while Amethyst rushed to her room to grab any extra weapons they had collected over the years. Garnet watched as Steven made his way up to his room. He gently lifted Connie off of the bed and carried her down.

"No one else can access your mother's room," Garnet started.

"That's what I was thinking too," Steven replied.

Steven walked in silence to the door, his gem glowing as the room was opened up to him. Garnet followed him in and watched as Steven commanded the room to create a bed. He gently laid Connie down on the bed and stroked her hair, kissing her forehead before turning to leave.

"I want you to stay in there too," Garnet sighed.

"What? No! You need my shield!" Steven cried out.

"You don't understand. If they see you, they will take you and most likely kill you. Connie needs you the most right now," Garnet began. "If she survives, she will need you to help her raise your child. And your child will need you as well. We will be fine, Steven," she lied. She did not want him to know what she had seen.

Steven nodded, gently stroking Connie's hair.

"I'll come back into the room to stay after tonight. And I'll come out when it's safe ... I promise," Steven wavered.

It wasn't a promise he could really keep.

"Sapphire, this can't happen ..."

"It will, Ruby. I'm sorry."

"No! I can't let it happen!"

Garnet had split apart after leaving Rose's Room and making sure that no one was in the Beach House. Ruby paced about the floor as Sapphire stood, stoically, watching her.

"Ruby, it has to happen this way. This is the only way that Steven will be safe."

"You've seen that far into the future, but have you seen how I will react? Have you seen how this could truly shatter me?"

Sapphire grimaced.

"There's still a chance Steven could heal me, but he can only do that if he's alive."

"I don't want to worry about that possibility, Sapphire! I don't want to face another moment where you aren't here!"

"Um ..."

The pair turned to see Amethyst standing in front of the Temple Door, several axes and swords in her arms.

"Oh no ..." Ruby started.

"So, you still think you're getting shattered then?" Amethyst started. "I thought we had worked out another solution."

"No ... I went over the probabilities. It's still too low," Sapphire sighed. "Did Pearl or Peridot end up telling anyone else?"

"No. There was enough stress with dealing with finding weapons and a few gems not remembering how to summon theirs. But Sapphire, you need to rethink this. You really do."

"I have. Several times," the icy gem replied cooly. "There is only one possible future where both Steven and I come out of this alive now ... and it won't happen."

Ruby gaped at Sapphire. There was a future she had hidden from her? She watched as Amethyst argued with Sapphire, the room starting to freeze over. She lost herself in the words, wondering how she could make that one future happen.

Amethyst left the Beach House in a huff, leaving the two Corundum gems in the living room.

Sapphire sat on the floor and stared ahead.

She played that one future over and over, a tear rolling down her cheek. She was not about to let it happen.

Her thoughts were distracted by Ruby humming, softly, their song. She looked up to see Ruby's outstretched hand. She took it and stared at the red gem. They danced, singing to each other in their ancient language, rusty but lyrical, before they phased into each other.

Garnet sat on the couch, her arms wrapped tightly around her.

She didn't like eating very much, or indulging in very many human activities, but she felt as though she might deserve a last meal or a final trip to the boardwalk.

She walked over the the Temple Door.

"Steven? I can foresee that Connie will be alright for the next couple hours. Would you like to go to the arcade with me?"

Larimar checked over the research wing one more time. Everything was in order as far as she could tell. She had cobbled together a refrigeration unit for holding food for the humans (which she would need to procure at landfall) and was beginning to prepare her tools when the alarms started to blare.

She left her station and ran to the bridge. Blue Diamond's forehead was creased with worry as she looked out at the planet. Two other fleets bore down on the blue sphere.

"We have to reach Earth first," Blue Diamond finally stated. "All power to the engines."

"But, our shielding -" her Peridot started.

"I don't care!" Blue Diamond bellowed. "We need to reach the planet before the other Diamonds. They will destroy the one shot we have at putting the odds of defeating the Alloys in our favor!"

The Peridot sighed and redirected the power from the rest of the ship to the engines. The Larimar watched as they screamed towards the planet. She felt a sense of dread, knowing that there was a chance that the other Diamonds could ruin everything.

She still had her, ace however, with the bubbled Alloy.

If they lost the two humans, she would have to try and study the Alloy instead. This was as terrifying as it was exciting. She knew that they were capable of assimilating any other silica-based creature into their collective. She knew that it would be a risk she would have to face if she decided to study this creature.

"Is the research wing ready?" Blue Diamond asked, not taking her eyes off of the view-screen.

"Yes, my Diamond," Larmiar replied. "And I also think that, if the worst does happen to the human and the hybrid, that we still study that Alloy -"

"Only if the worst happens to them. I don't want to put the entire ship in jeopardy."

Larimar nodded and started for the research wing again.

"Wait ... I will need you to procure supplies for them as soon as we make landfall. I will deal with the other two Diamonds."

Larimar saluted before leaving. She wasn't sure where to get the supplies for these humans, but figured that she could figure it out. She was a Larimar. They were meant to be resourceful and intelligent. She could handle this.

 _I can't handle this ..._

Mr. Smiley had long forgiven Steven and the Gems for the constant destruction that seemed to rain down on his attractions. He bore everything with a smile and moved on from one calamity to the next.

He couldn't help but notice, however, the somber feeling that hung in the air when Garnet and Steven walked into the arcade. His smile wavered as he watched the pair walk to the Meat Beat Mania 2 machine. It had been installed over a year ago and Garnet had never returned to play it.

"Hey you two," Mr. Smiley chuckled. "You're not going to break this one, are you?"

"No," Garnet attempted a smile. "Just playing this one for old time's sake."

"Well, the new one is a little different. I hope you can handle it," he grinned. "They've added new songs and more complicated moves. No one has had a score that comes close to your score on the original machine."

Garnet smirked and turned to Steven.

"Ready, Steven?"

Steven smiled weakly and put in two quarters for Garnet. He did the same for himself and felt himself get taken by the beat.

He thought about what he was going to do if the gems were lost. How could he handle seeing any of his family shattered on the beach? What if what happened to Azurite happened to them?

What if he lost Connie as well?

He could feel the sadness that hung in the air and wondered what Garnet could see. He wasn't sure he wanted to know.

"You did it," he heard Garnet say, proudly. He was snapped out of his reverie to see the winning screen.

In all of his years, he had never beaten Garnet at Meat Beat Mania. She had always been too fast, too accurate.

She had to have been preoccupied.

Still, he took the win with a smile and pulled out two more quarters.

"Want to go again?"

The pair stood for most of the afternoon, playing the game and momentarily forgetting what was around the corner.

"We can fight together this time," Lapis smiled, resting her head on Chrysoprase's shoulder.

"This time, we won't have to worry about corruption. They wouldn't do that again."

Lapis nodded and felt Chrysoprase's arm wrap around her shoulder.

"I'm sorry that I wasn't able to free you before. I had hoped that Rose would go back and find you after the war. That she would help you."

"Pearl found me, but she didn't know. She didn't remember me. I tried to tell her, but my gem was cracked so badly ..."

Chrysoprase trilled to Lapis and stroked her hair. They sat in relative silence, occasionally whispering to each other in their light language.

They couldn't fuse - they had never really tried - but they had this. The ancient language that was almost never spoken anymore. Even the Crystal Gems had trouble remembering the language or understanding Chrysoprase when she had launched into it during a meeting. Lapis never forgot. It was part of her duty as a Lapis Lazuli to be able to remember messages and languages.

Th pair looked up at the sky, seeing the series of lights that signaled the slow approach of a Diamond fleet. They clasped hands and leaned close into each other.

"We can do this," Lapis started.

"Besides, if we are shattered, we'll be shattered together this time," Chrysoprase smiled sadly.

She still wanted to be called Jasper.

She hadn't earned the title yet. She hated the title with a passion right now. Every gem on board continued to greet her with "My Diamond".

She felt she didn't deserve it. She had not avenged the previous Yellow Diamond. She had not avenged the other Jasper, lost in the war. Her companion.

She had shattered Lazuli, but that didn't mean anything. Lazuli was just petty revenge for being trapped under the ocean. Rose's gem still lived on.

She could see White Diamond's fleet on the view screen now. The time was almost here to start their descent. She barked out orders to the rest of her fleet before returning to look at the planet.

It was perfect for creating quartz soldiers. The geological processes alone had created some of the strongest warriors in the past. The life force was an added bonus.

She still could not understand why Rose valued the creatures on the planet. They were weak, fleshy, and had such short, meaningless lives. They had barely left the planet and didn't travel very far from the reaches of their homeworld. They were a speck of dust to them.

She ignored the warnings from White Diamond and pushed onward. This was not a foolish endeavor. This was revenge and conquest, something that Yellow Diamond's forces were always the best at.

She could feel the familiar rumble of the ship entering Earth's atmosphere and grinned.

 _This will be easy ..._

 _She watched the form of light try to take shape._

 _She wanted to coax it along, to help it. She didn't know the first thing about what was going on. She felt that presence again._

 _"Just think of what they should look like. Who you are creating. Let them form around the gem. Steven's information is already carried in it. You just need to add your own."_

 _She started to wonder if this was what Rose had done. She started to imagine herself, images she had seen from when she was a baby. Dark skin, dark hair, dark eyes ... chubby cheeks that were always smiling. She gave that information to the gem to give it something to add to Steven's information. It knew what Steven looked like. She could sense that. She didn't know if they would have a son or daughter (and frankly didn't care). She watched as the gem seemed to process the information._

 _"You need to focus on yourself as well. Regenerate the damaged cells. You need to heal. Steven needs you."_

 _She wasn't sure how to do this, but she felt a guiding hand. Instincts of a different kind bubbling up in her brain. She was still mostly human, but she was also slightly gem._

 _She could do this. She would survive._

 _She could feel a tug in her heart. She couldn't stay this way any longer._

Her eyes flung open.

Steven had left Rose's room for breakfast, watching his guardians arm themselves. He had hoped that they had evacuated the city, but was certain that seeing the ships enter the atmosphere was enough of a warning to the citizens of Beach City.

Garnet smiled sadly, seeing Steven pull out frozen waffles and whipped cream. She watched as he busied himself, toasting the waffles. Amethyst immediately knew what was happening and pulled out some bags of popcorn, popping them into the microwave. Pearl smiled sadly and motioned to Peridot to help her with pulling out strawberries from the refrigerator. They set to work, building the Together Breakfast. It had been years since Steven had first started this tradition, creating a breakfast for everyone to share in. Usually, only Steven and Amethyst would eat it, but today, even Pearl took a few bites as soon as it had been finished.

Steven looked around at his guardians. If he followed their instructions, this might be the last time he saw them. He looked to each of them, wanting to remember them like this forever. Amethyst joking to lighten the mood, teasing Peridot about the first time she ate anything. Pearl admonishing the quartz in a playful manner, before admitting that it was kind of funny. Peridot explaining in her matter-of-fact way that the processes that biological creatures go through can be horrifying, even if they seem fun at first (as well as a question about human fusion that made Steven blush horribly and Amethyst spit out her food from laughing). Steven looked to Garnet to see her sad smile. He could sense from her that this could be the end of the Crystal Gems.

No, not the end ... He would still be there. Connie would hopefully be there too, as well as their child. They could continue Rose's legacy if the worst happened.

A thought occurred to him as he wondered what would happen if the Diamonds just completely destroyed the gems without any casualties on their side. Everything that they did to protect him would be for naught.

He couldn't bring that up right now, though. He didn't want to. He wanted to have this moment with the gems. As they finished, they sat around in silence, not wanting to be the first to admit that this might be the end.

The silence was broken by the screen door opening. Lapis stood in the doorway, her eyes revealing, instantly, what was happening outside.

The gems turned to Steven who looked to them, a mixture of sadness and terror on his face.

"We'll be back," Pearl smiled. "Just stay safe with Connie. Everything will work out."

"Yeah!" Amethyst said with a hollow laugh. "We'll show them not to mess with Earth!"

Garnet simply tried to smile and then walked to Steven.

"We're all so proud of you, Steven. Remember to stay in there until it is safe. We love you," She whispered, pulling him in tight for a hug.

She almost kissed his forehead, but stopped herself. She didn't want him to know.

The rest of his guardians joined in the hug, holding Steven tightly.

Soon, it was over and Steven went into Rose's room to wait while the rest of the gems left the Beach House. Garnet was the last to leave, looking back at the Temple door.

No matter which futures she saw, she could not see past this battle.

As they left, they saw the rest of their army preparing for the onslaught. They were still only half of what they had been, not being able to heal all of the gems in the Burning Room, but there was a chance that Steven could still save them, even if they all perished. No words had to be spoken. They all knew what had to happen.

Peridot watched from behind the rest of the gems. She was their secret weapon. She looked, in vain, for Labradorite but could not find her.

She still had to do this alone.

Labradorite sat alone at the top of Lighthouse Hill, the weapon still in her shaking hands. She had tried to use it, but couldn't bring herself to. It was like the weapon wouldn't allow her to do this one thing.

 _Of course it wouldn't. She can still sense you._

She had seen the stream of cars start to leave Beach City, but she did not care. She didn't care about the battle that would occur. She had lost hope in everything.

The ships were going to touch down soon. She knew that, with the entire fleet arriving, there would be a ground battle. It was more sporting for the Diamonds that way. She had seen it before.

She rose and turned to see a blond haired human leaving the lighthouse, papers and books filling his arms. She tilted her head, curiously.

"Why are you still here?" she asked.

"My brother would kill me if I let all of his weird conspiracy junk get destroyed," the human chuckled.

She analyzed him, looking over his tall, thin form. He looked to be a little older than Rose Quartz' son yet he seemed more anxious than any human she had ever seen.

"I can help you take these things out of Beach City, if you like. I'm not staying."

The human tilted his head and shrugged.

"I would have thought you would stay with the gems."

"There's nothing for me with them," she sighed. "The only reason I fought is gone now."

She clutched the weapon closer.

"Alright ... but you'll have to ride in our van - and possibly deal with my brother prodding you."

Labradorite smiled and followed the human, not even glancing back to look at the approaching war ships.

The battle had begun the moment the first ship touched down, unleashing the squadron of Rubies that charged forward. They stopped short, seeing more gems than expected.

"I thought there were only supposed to be four gems," one of the Rubies growled.

The large Diamond ships touched down, Yellow and White Diamond disembarking.

"What are you waiting for?" Yellow Diamond barked. "Shatter them!"

The Rubies turned to each other uncertainly before charging at the small army. The Crystal Gem Rubies met them head on, a fiery clash beginning. Screams of pain and anguish echoed from the fray as the Homeworld Quartz Battalion charged forward. The Diamonds watched, scanning the fray for the original Crystal Gems.

"Where is the Rose Quartz gem?" White Diamond asked.

"I don't know. I sense her, but not here," the new Yellow Diamond growled.

They did not notice Peridot as she made her way towards the ships. She needed to disable the weapons systems without drawing any attention to herself.

The inside of the Yellow Diamond ship had once been something Peridot wanted to see. She had imagined working at the helm, leading the Diamonds to victory. This was no longer a fantasy but more of a nightmare. She wandered through, finding her way to the chamber of the ship's Crystal Heart. She had been surprised that there wasn't any security on this ship.

That's what inexperience gets you, Jasper, she thought to herself as she worked to disconnect the ship's components with the Heart.

As she severed the last connection, she pulled a bomb from her gem. Nothing too big, just small enough to crack the Heart. They would need a Rose Quartz to heal this one.

She left, undetected, and made her way to White Diamond's ship.

This would be much harder.

Outside the ships, the battle raged on. Yellow Diamond charged her way through the battle, searching for the four Crystal Gems that had been a thorn in her side for so long. She felt the sting of acid but continued on, ignoring the pain.

Soon, she found them. Pearl, Garnet, and Amethyst stood, weapons drawn, guarding the Temple.

"You will go no further, Jasper!" Garnet shouted. "This ends here!"

A grin.

"You're right."

The whine of a gem destabilizer.

"This does end here."

She couldn't react, seeing how the future would unfurl. She felt herself come apart, the last grasps of Sapphire and Ruby trying to hold onto each other.

Sapphire began to retreat into her gem, her grasp slipping from Ruby, accepting her fate.

 _No ... there are hundreds of me,_ A thought broke through as the last connections were severed.

Then Darkness.

Steven gently stroked Connie's hair, trying to focus on her and not the battle being waged outside. He didn't want to think about losing his guardians or anyone else.

He cursed himself for getting them into this situation. If he had thought for just a moment, they would have a better chance. There were still so many bubbled gems in the Burning Room. So many gems that could have saved everyone. Instead, they only had half of an army and it was his fault.

He looked down at Connie and gently kissed her forehead.

"I'll be back, I promise."

He opened the door to the room and walked out, hearing the sounds of battle outside.

He readied himself to summon his shield. He could survive this. He paused to run to the bedroom to grab his mother's sword.

That was when he heard the familiar cry of a Ruby.

His Ruby.

He ran outside and watched as Ruby's open palm connected with Jasper's helmet.

Her open left palm.

He watched as her eyes widened in shock.

His shield was out in moments, but it was too late.

Steven charged, Sword drawn and shield at the ready.

His charge was interrupted by a booming voice.

"Stop this!"

The battling gems froze, heads turning to see Blue Diamond standing outside of her ship, her entire fleet behind her. She walked through the crowd, past gems from both sides who watched, mouths agape. The Diamond made her way to Jasper, setting a hand on her shoulder.

"You acted without consulting the entire authority," she began. "You took away resources that could have gone to other colonies in your rage. You Yellow Diamonds always act without thinking. I knew allowing you to be promoted was a mistake, but she still allowed you to be her second in command. When we passed through Gem controlled space, there had been an Alloy ship. We have one on board. Who knows how many more are en route to a colony. Your fleet would have been better served there. This is a Blue Diamond operation, not a Yellow or White one."

Jasper refused to look at the gem.

"You can't do anything to me," she glowered. "There isn't anyone to take up my mantle. You need me."

"Perhaps. But not in this form right now."

Jasper was too slow to react. The stabilizer in her hand was gone now, jabbed into her side.

A flash of light and all that was left was her gem which Blue Diamond caught and bubbled.

"I think she needs some time to think things over," she smiled at Steven. "Now, you're a hybrid, I see?"

Peridot found her way out of White Diamond's ship, leaving a trail of poofed gems in her wake. The training from Pearl had paid off and saved her life. She would have to properly thank her when they survived this.

She gaped when she saw Blue Diamond's ship. This would be much harder. The layout of her ship was different and Blue Diamond was more experienced. There was no way that she was going to be able to get on board undetected, much less make her way through to the Crystal Heart alone.

 _Do it for them_ , she thought as she charged over.

When she entered the ship, she found it to be silent. The usual, bustling activity of a Diamond's ship was subdued to a calmness that worried her.

There was no way that Blue Diamond would leave the ship unattended. Not where there was a known Peridot in the enemy's ranks.

She continued, silently, winding her way through the corridors. Silence, still.

She found a doorway that she thought led to the Crystal Heart but instead found herself face to face with an angry, bubbled Alloy.

She screamed, snapping the Larimar who hunched over the workstation in the corner out of her work.

The two gems locked eyes.

"Oh no ..." Peridot whispered.

Blue Diamond allowed Steven to collect Ruby's shattered gem and bubble it, sending her to the Burning Room to wait. She watched as he then picked up Sapphire's gem, gingerly handing her to Pearl.

"Where is the other one?" Blue Diamond asked.

Steven paled. Of course she would ask about Connie. He stammered.

"Um ... She's not here. I sent her away ..." Steven lied.

"Doubtful," Blue Diamond sighed, "but it is interesting how much humans like to protect their own. That must be the side influencing you. Very un-gemlike."

Steven gulped.

"I promise, I will not harm either of you. I assume the other gems have told you of the Alloys?"

Steven nodded.

"We need to find out how you are able to barely register to a gem and yet still fight like one. The Alloys are much like us, unable to detect lower life forms. If they landed on Earth, they would not fight nearly as fiercely against a human as they would a gem. There have been theories that it may have to do with the composition of our species, but we are unsure. That is where you come in. We need to know how to recreate your kind."

Steven looked to Amethyst and Pearl. He searched their eyes for anything but only received sadness and terror in return.

"You can't take her," Steven started.

"But we need to. We need to know how this was possible," Blue Diamond stated, attempting to keep calm. She could feel the fiery defiance that often went with a Rose Quartz. This was why they were terrible at being simple soldiers. "It will save both gem and human kind. We can leave this planet alone if you both just come with us."

"You don't understand," Steven said, gripping his sword tighter. "You'll kill her."

"Perish the thought!" Blue Diamond laughed. "Why would we kill something that could be so useful to us?"

Steven gritted his teeth. He readied himself to block the Temple with his body. Even if it killed him, he would not let her get to Connie.

"Let me through," Blue Diamond cooly implored. "I promise you will both be alright after this. It's just a few tests to see -"

"No!" Steven finally cried out. "I won't let you near her!"

"Why not?" Blue Diamond barked. "Why are you fighting so fiercely?"

The next moment felt like an ant speaking to a human. A dust speck speaking to a boulder. Blue Diamond stared in surprise, noticing the dark skinned human that stood behind Steven. No one had noticed her arrive, but they could all feel the anger emanating from her.

"Because she is pregnant, you clods!" Priyanka growled, gripping tightly onto Steven's shoulder.


	20. Genesis

A/N: A lot going on with this chapter.

Much like the rest of the story, this is still a draft. I wanted to get this up before term ended as well as before my surgery. I'll be having knee surgery on February 24th and will most likely be in recovery for a while. I'm hoping to get Chapter 21 up after that (working on it as well as the edits for previous chapters during my hiatus that starts with this one). At the very latest, I'm planning on putting up Chapter 21 and the rest of the edits by the beginning of March. This can change, of course, but I wanted to warn everyone.

Also, as you will be able to tell by the mid-point of this chapter, Option 2 was the overwhelming winner! Woot!

With regards to chapter one, I'm writing two options (because something came to me when I was working on this one and wouldn't leave my head). I'm going to be seeing if it can fit or not, but there may or may not be a time jump as planned (extending this to a four part story). If I don't feel it works with the flow as much, then the chapters that would take place during the time jump will be posted in the drabble collection instead. Either way, you guys are going to be seeing that stuff. It's just a case of "will it be sooner than later?"

Thank you for the reviews! I'm definitely taking them into consideration as I make my edits (and may expand the last chapter a little more if I can get it to flow like I want it to). This chapter is a monster. The folks on the stream seemed to love it and hopefully you all will too!

Be prepared for Larimar trying to make jokes (and being confused about humans), Peridot being paranoid, Blue Diamonds being sketchy, and a set-up for something far in the future (pay attention to certain characters ...)

Feel free to review and I will see you all post-op!

-FourFaces

* * *

 _She knew, the moment she felt her own thoughts forming, that something was wrong._

 _She shouldn't be feeling anything. She should be a jumble of thoughts right now. She shouldn't exist anymore._

 _She wasn't sure if she wanted to reform at all now. She worried for the future and tried to look into it. Everything was blurred. Missing._

 _Oh no ..._

 _She didn't need her future vision to know that something had changed the path of fate. Only two things could have happened._

 _Neither was good._

 _She felt her body start to reform and prepared herself. She could feel the pain in her heart the moment her body was ready to erupt from the gem._

 _She nearly retreated again._

"Pregnant?" Blue Diamond asked, curious. "Very interesting. I assume that the hybrid mated then?"

Priyanka growled, her grip tightening even more on Steven's shoulder.

"If you hurt my daughter, I swear to all that is holy that you will be smashed."

Blue Diamond was taken aback by the ferocity of the small creature. It interested her greatly that this human would stand up to a Diamond. She most likely was unaware of the heirarchy of gems. It was to be expected from such an insignificant creature. Still, the words it said interested her.

"Daughter ... so the creature you are protecting is your offspring? Interesting. I should really study you as well, from a behavioral stand point. You humans are very interesting indeed."

Priyanka started to grab Steven to push him behind her but he stood his ground.

"Don't worry, I wont hurt either of you. That is not my intention. However, I'm even more interested in studying this creature now. Especially with an incubating offspring. I'm assuming that the gem will still form from her, correct?"

Steven blanched. He looked at Priyanka who grimaced.

"You will need my help then," Blue Diamond smiled. "I assume you know that gems will take energy from any organic forms around them to form. Without my technology, your human mate will die."

The pair looked at each other and then back at Pearl and Amethyst.

"I have a proposition," Blue Diamond started.

Connie rose up on shaky legs, walking through the clouds in Rose's Room. She looked around, unsure of how to get out. She knew that the room would respond to Steven's gem and that, in the past, it had never responded to her. She saw the light glow from her abdomen again and decided it was worth a try anyway.

"I need a way out of here," she started. "I need to get to Steven!"

She felt a sharp pain and curled over before noticing a door form, opening to the Beach House. It took all of her strength to make her way to the door. As she staggered out, she noticed the house was deathly quiet. She looked around, worried that the battle had begun and she was left alone. The silence was suffocating.

"Steven?" Connie asked.

No answer.

She began to stagger towards the door, grabbing onto anything that would help her stand. The pain in her abdomen was great and her heart beat rapidly, making her feel faint.

Just a few more steps, she thought.

She reached the screen door, oblivious to what had happened outside, and began to open it.

Blue Diamond had been interrupted by a familiar, nasily voice. She turned to see Peridot, escorting Larimar through the crowd with a blaster aimed at her head.

"Don't hurt him!" Peridot cried out. "If you hurt him, I kill your science officer!"

Blue Diamond smirked.

"You wouldn't dare, you silicate fool," she chuckled. "If she's gone, who will save your human friend?"

Peridot lowered the weapon slightly.

"You're bluffing."

"No, we need both humans alive. I cannot do that without Larimar's help. I'm certain you do not know how to work the equipment that would keep the human alive. There is no way that you would let a creature you have become so close to perish. If I remember right, my Sapphires even said you two fused. This would destroy the gem you both created. Even though I'm not a proponent of different gems fusing, I can appreciate the use for it. You wouldn't let all of that go, would you?"

Peridot wavered before dropping the blaster. Larimar puffed up, proud of the recognition from her Diamond.

"What are you going to do to her?"

Blue Diamond smiled.

"I'm just going to run a few scans on the hybrid and his mate, maybe take some samples ... but I'm very interested in the creature these two have created."

Peridot looked to Steven and could see the moment his heart shattered in his eyes. He realized it now, what Blue Diamond wanted.

He was stuck. He couldn't say no. Connie would die and he would lose both of them, most likely. He couldn't live without Connie. He had already lost Garnet.

The sound of the screen door swinging open and slamming shut startled everyone. They looked to see Connie grabbing the railing.

"Steven?" She asked weakly. "What's going on?"

PeeDee had introduced the gem to his father quickly as they piled into the van. He sat in the back with her, watching as she fiddled with the weapon.

"So, why aren't you fighting out there with them?" The older Fryman asked.

"I'm not needed," she lied. "My weapon doesn't even work."

"Hmm ... well, we're going to return after the all clear is announced. You should be able to return then.

She nodded and looked out the window. She watched as the buildings passed by, slowly. The march of cars out of the town sent anxious thrills through her body.

This was the right decision, She told herself, I'm not of any use to the Crystal Gems.

She stared at the weapon. Perhaps she could find something, when they got to their destination, that would shatter her. Then she could avoid feeling this pain. The humans wouldn't know what to do with her shards. She would just be left to join the dust of the earth.

PeeDee distracted her, setting a hand on hers.

"It's alright, we'll all survive this," he smiled. "Steven has this under control. He's got his mom's gem and his mom's shield."

Labradorite politely smiled back. The thought of Steven began to spark something in her mind. Another way out of the pain she felt.

Something that Azurite's broken gem would not try to block her from.

"So, I didn't spend much time with humans during the war," she started. "Tell me about yourselves ... what has your species accomplished in the last five thousand years?"

Connie was not alright with this. None of them were.

They had no choice right now, however.

White Diamond watched, helplessly, as Blue Diamond escorted Steven, Connie, the remaining Crystal Gems, and Pryianka onto the ship. She had saved herself from being poofed by claiming innocence when Blue Diamond approached her, saying she wasn't sure of Yellow Diamond's plans. It was a lie, of course, and Blue Diamond saw right through it, but she had more important things to focus on now. With a shout, she beckoned all of the Homeworld fleet to return to their respective crafts and prepare for departure. She did not want to be in the way of a Blue Diamond operation, especially when the gem still had Yellow Diamond's destabilizer.

In the back of her mind, she was happy that the skirmish had been relatively short, rather than the day long battle that had taken place before - even if the results of the battle weren't necessarily in her favor. There were a few poofed Rubies and a couple of battle-damaged Quartz soldiers, but otherwise, Homeworld had escaped with very few casualties.

As she turned back towards her ship, her silent Pearl at her side, she saw someone out of the corner of her eye. She turned to see a Lapis Lazuli glaring daggers at her, a Chrysoprase at her side. The Chrysoprase seemed to have sustained a lot of battle damage, her arm hanging limp at her side. The green gem was occasionally hissing in the ancient language, gritting her teeth and drooling acid.

That was the price of battle, White Diamond thought. She still felt a twinge of something as she looked at the two gems, the Lapis Lazuli watching her intently. The Diamond had not personally been involved in whatever had occurred to injure the Chrysoprase, but it must have been one of her soldiers. Regardless, she pushed on, eager to hear the stories of the short battle from her soldiers.

White Diamond walked to her ship, noticing the door had been opened. She did not think much of it and continued into the ship.

CRUNCH! CRUNCH! CRUNCH!

She froze. Her Pearl immediately illuminated the corridor of the ship, revealing several shattered gems. White Diamond broke into a run towards the Crystal Heart's chamber, hoping that the worst had not happened.

Meanwhile, Connie and Steven gaped at the wonders inside of Blue Diamond's ship. It was so different from any Gem tech they had been exposed to. Even the Hand paled in comparison. Corridors lead down to several work rooms and images of the victories of the Diamond Authority appeared and shifted on the walls, like a living painting.

"Right this way," Larimar started. "We'll be working in the research wing ... Don't mind the Alloy. It's a Diamond bubble, so it won't break."

Priyanka jumped, seeing the monstrous creature contained in the bubble.

"This is an 'Alloy'?" She gasped.

"Yes. This one stowed away on the ship," Larimar explained. "I was planning on studying this one as well to see how else we can turn the tide of the war in our favor. However, with the latest development, we may be able to avoid un-bubbling this creature."

Priyanka watched as the creature followed Larimar with its eyes. She stood in front of the bubble and waved her hand in the periphery of its vision.

It ignored her.

"Now, we will have to administer a mild sedative for some of the testing, but I assure you, it won't harm either of our subjects," Larimar smiled.

"What sort of sedative?" Priyanka asked. "Human biology seems to be different enough from gem. I mean, just look at how the development of their child is coming along. Just the creation of the gem nearly killed her!"

Larimar huffed.

"Well, what do you suggest?"

"I have access to sedatives in the hospital. Ones that Connie can handle and that are safe for a pregnant mother. You can use that for her and most likely for Steven. A lot of what I've observed with him is still human. You can't just treat them like you would any other creature!"

Peridot squirmed. She worried that Blue Diamond would lose her patience with the human. She had come to care for Priyanka and didn't want to see what the Diamond would do to her. She braced for the eventual destruction, but it never came.

Instead, Blue Diamond nodded and motioned for Priyanka.

"Go then and find some of what they can tolerate. I promise I will not leave this planet or start any testing until you return."

Priyanka nodded and was escorted out by Larimar who began to ask every conceivable question she could think of about humans. Blue Diamond turned her attention to Steven and Connie.

"So, you are the offspring of Rose Quartz," Blue Diamond began. "I assume she was unable to come up with a way to share her gem with you. It really is a pity. She was a marvelous leader, even if we did disagree. She managed to bring an entire faction over to her side, even after renouncing her title. There were even rumors that she had wooed my predecessor over to her side. That she convinced her to give up her title as well ... It was all very interesting, wasn't it, Pearl?"

Pearl squirmed and then gripped Steven's shoulder.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Certainly you do. You were there. Unless you just don't want to remember it."

Pearl gritted her teeth and looked to Steven.

"Whatever happened in the war doesn't have any bearing on you," she forced a smile.

Steven didn't want to think about his mother right now. He couldn't help but think of the sacrifice she had made, just to bring him into this world. He worried that Connie would make this sacrifice anyway. That it would be too late to stop the progress.

"An interesting aspect of Rose Quartz gems is their capacity to heal. I know that she healed many a gem on the battlefield during our wars against the Alloys, as well as during the Rebellion. I assume it does not work as well on organics."

"No. He's healed humans as well," Connie replied, weakly. "I've been healed a couple times, as has his dad. He even healed my eyesight when we were kids ..."

"Interesting ... but of course, it wouldn't work on something like this. Not when so much energy is being taken."

Both Connie and Steven were silent. Amethyst grumbled and crossed her arms.

"So, what are you going to do to save her? Gems take life force to grow and I doubt you have anything in here that can help with that," She growled. "If you were just going to shatter us and take them, why didn't you do it out there."

Peridot nearly fainted. Pearl gently grabbed Amethyst's shoulder. They braced themselves for the rage of the Diamond but were met with laughter.

"You really haven't been on Homeworld, have you? You poor little quartz. You missed out on so many technological wonders. I know that your kind is usually hardly interested in it, but I am certain you would at least be interested in something that specifically affects quartz production."

Amethyst huffed before Blue Diamond smiled and beckoned them to follow her.

"Quartz take the most energy to form and need to constantly be monitored so that they don't use up all of the available resources or not use enough and end up defective ... no offense."

"None taken," Amethyst growled.

"On Homeworld, we have some experimental Quartz kindergartens. Ones that use recycled gem energy alongside samples of organic energy to create a perfect quartz soldier at an accelerated rate to make up for lost soldiers on our colonies. In this case, we already have our organic host with us," Blue Diamond gestured to Connie, "but that is not nearly enough to fully sustain the creation of a quartz, even a shard of one. We do have one thing on the ship, however, that can produce enough energy to assist."

Peridot blanched.

"Oh no ..." she started. "But ... those were just prototypes when I was last on Homeworld. None of the subjects had emerged yet."

"The second round of prototypes were preparing to emerge when our fleet left. The quartz soldiers from the first round were indeed slightly weaker, but they were a weaker variety anyway. I assume that the second round of prototypes are working perfectly on Homeworld. Now, of course, with this method, there is the chance of accelerated incubation of the gem, meaning that the gem will emerge sooner than the normal incubation period of a quartz soldier, thanks to the energy from the ship's heart, but this will be good in the long run for the human because ..."

"Oh my stars ... I really messed up ..." Peridot groaned as Blue Diamond continued.

"What?" Steven asked before he too realized why she was worried.

They were interrupted by White Diamond's angry shriek.

"Blue Diamond!" The furious Diamond cried out. "The Crystal Heart in my ship is cracked! You need to check yours!"

Larimar felt a little bit of a culture shock as she walked through the hospital with Priyanka. She had gone from only seeing reports about humans to seeing more of them than she could count. She marveled at the diversity of the species and the strange contraptions some of them seemed to be tethered to in a few of the rooms. One in particular amazed her. It was a human that was covered from head to toe in a white casing, leaving room only for its eyes. It seemed to be suspended from the ceiling.

The humans must use that one to attempt to power this building. What a good use of organic energy!

"Stop staring at Mr. Latimer," Priyanka said without looking at Larimar. "He was in a skiing accident and broke most of the bones in his body. He'll probably be back in next year."

"Ah ... so this is what you do with humans who have been damaged. Interesting. We usually just use a Rose Quartz medic if we have one available. Otherwise, gems are repurposed."

Priyanka shuddered.

"We don't do that with humans. Now, what sort of tests were you planning on doing to my daughter? I need to know so I can get the right types of anesthetic."

"Well, we do need to take tissue samples from both of them. I also want to take a sample from the hybrid that is growing inside her. I'm certain that we will need both of them to be asleep for that if human pain tolerances are as you say. Also, I have a plan to see if the new Quartz Production technique works on her. We'll need to use the energy from the Crystal Heart in the ship to offset her own energy. It's risky, but it has a better chance of working than just letting her go through this on her own."

"Maybe if she is asleep the entire time ..." Priyanka mused. "We can put humans into medically induced comas," she started. "It's risky as well, but she can conserve her own energy that way. I just don't know if I want to do that to my daughter ... but I don't want to lose her."

"Humans care for their offspring a lot, huh?"

"Yeah. And she's our only child. We didn't think we would ever have her. She had so many problems as a young child as well. We thought we were going to lose her so many times and we tried to protect her from so much. I think we did more harm than good, honestly," she sighed.

Larimar nodded, unsure of how to feel. This was completely alien to the gem. She wasn't used to the emotions that these humans felt. Love was never a strong emotion on Homeworld and the thought of such a strong love for something one created was odd to her. She watched as Priyanka walked through a doorway.

"Wait here. I'm going to go make sure I can take some things with me."

Larimar nodded and stood outside the door, waiting. She watched as humans were pushed down the hallway in wheeled contraptions by other humans in teal or blue outfits. She wondered if these uniformed humans were the human equivalent to Pearls.

The double doors burst open and Larimar watched as a human was wheeled past her on a white slab, five other humans attending to it. She could see a red fluid leaking out of the human on the slab and shuddered. With the basic knowledge of these creatures that she had, she knew that the red fluid leaking out was not a good thing.

"Get him to the O.R! He's crashing!" Larimar heard one of the humans say.

Crashing? What does that mean?

She followed as far as she could before being blocked by a locked set of double doors. She waited, wanting to see how this would resolve. She sat down, in front of the doors, staring.

"Hi Blue Lady," a small voice said behind her.

She turned around to see a small human clutching a small, fury creature. The creature stared at Larimar with a blank expression, slightly unnerving her. It was a little like looking at a newly produced Pearl. She never liked it when a new Pearl was displayed somewhere, waiting for programming. She looked back up at the child. The child looked to be a female (but she wasn't sure) and had brown skin with blue eyes. She tilted her head, examining her.

So this is a human offspring. Interesting.

"Jamie, get away from the Gem. It's not polite to stare," a voice stated. Larimar followed the source to a human that approached the two of them. "I am so sorry. She hasn't seen a Gem before, so she's going to be prone to bother you. Thank you for all you've done for this state. We heard about the battle in Beach City a month ago. I'm glad that not all of you were shattered."

Larimar gaped. The humans can't tell between a Homeworld Gem and one of the traitorous Crystal Gems?

She almost replied when Priyanka appeared.

"There you are! Let's get back quickly. It's about an hour drive back and I don't want to lose any more time!"

Priyanka grabbed the gem by the arm and dragged her out, Larimar still staring back at the parent and child.

"Peridot, we are screwed," Amethyst whispered.

The gems were gathered around the Crystal Heart of Blue Diamond's ship. A large crack ran through it, sparking and and sputtering. Blue Diamond stared, horrified.

"See? We're stuck here now! Marooned on this planet because of these rebels!" White Diamond growled. "Give me the order and I'll smash them.

"No ... we can't. And we're not completely stuck. There's still one option. I assume you didn't think to bring any Rose Quartz medics with you?"

"Of course not! There weren't any on Homeworld that we could use and the only few known ones are on other colonies."

Blue Diamond sighed. She was right, of course. She looked to Steven.

"There's a Rose Quartz here," Blue Diamond started. "And we're at his mercy."

Peridot choked back a relieved chuckle before looking to Steven who stared at Blue Diamond before looking at Connie's weakening form in his arms.

"What were your plans for our child?" Steven asked.

"Originally, we wanted to take the child to help us turn the tide of the war against the Alloys. There is a strong chance that they would be able to slip in, undetected, and destroy the enemy on all of our former colonies. We knew that you would have to agree to our terms so that you did not lose your mate. Now, however, it seems you are the one with the most leverage."

Steven looked back down at Connie. She weakly stared up at him. A silent agreement passed between them. Steven kissed her forehead lightly.

"We need to be able to raise our child. They would be mostly human and probably wouldn't survive on the surface of most of those planets. We can't risk losing our child like that. You can study us all you like, but don't harm our child. Don't take our child. We need to be the ones to raise them. You don't understand how humans work. You wouldn't be able to provide for their physical needs."

"And leave the Earth alone, too!" Amethyst added, angrily.

Blue Diamond nodded. She looked to White Diamond who looked as if she was about to explode with anger.

"We have to agree to his terms," Blue Diamond started. "We're never getting off this planet otherwise."

White Diamond sputtered, barely quelling her rage.

"Fine! But we get to do whatever we want with those samples from studying them! We need to have an edge over the Alloys and we won't have that until we know how these two are able to be almost undetectable."

Steven nodded, gently squeezing Connie tighter before handing her limp form over to Pearl.

"Understandable. But you promise to release us after you are done?"

"Of course," Blue Diamond affirmed.

Steven sighed and licked his palm before placing it on the Crystal Heart. The warm glow filled the room as the cracks filled in. He looked to the Diamonds and then to Connie.

"I'll heal yours as well," he started, gesturing to White Diamond, "but you have to promise to never try to use Earth as a colony again. This is not a gem controlled planet. This is a planet with sentient life that needs to be allowed to flourish."

White Diamond growled and stormed out of the chamber. Blue Diamond chuckled.

"She'll come around eventually. If she doesn't, I'm sure she'll enjoy being stranded on your planet. Now, let's head back to the lab and wait for Larimar and the human to get back. We'll start preparing your mate for the procedures as well."

Steven nodded, taking Connie back from Pearl.

"I'm scared, Steven," she whimpered.

"I know," Steven replied pressing a kiss on the top of Connie's head.

The ride in the car had been silent. Priyanka had stopped at a grocery store to buy food to take onto the ship for Connie and Steven, should they feel up to it after testing. She didn't want to put Connie into a coma unless she absolutely had to. She held onto hope that whatever technique Larimar came up with would be enough.

She looked over at one point to see Larimar staring out the window. She could not tell if the gem was interested in the landscape or bored. She sighed. She would never get used to these aliens, no matter how much she was exposed to them.

"So, what are the chances that Connie will survive?" she asked.

"Why are you asking me?" Larimar started, "I'm a Larimar, not a Sapphire."

Priyanka glared.

"A little humor," the Larimar explained. "Anyhow, I am confident in my ability to keep her alive."

Priyanka was still not soothed.

"Have there ever been any other experiments in creating hybrids?" Priyanka asked. "Or was Steven the first?"

"Well, I'm not too certain because most of the planets we colonize are devoid of creatures with anything resembling sentience. Earth was one of the first and most of the notes on the colony were destroyed after the Rebellion. We have basic notes on the endemic species, but that is all. A lot of information during the Rebellion was heavily censored. I hadn't even been created yet." Larimar paused and then added, "However, I know that there were reports of gems experiencing strange emotions on this planet and then acting on them. There were also reports of attempts to create a super weapon using the endemic life of the planet. Any possible records or data was likely destroyed. I don't think that the route that Rose Quartz chose was ever experimented with during that time and I don't think any hybrids were successfully created using any other methods. We would have definitely known about that then."

Priyanka nodded and then stared back out at the road.

"So, love is not a common emotion on Homeworld?"

"I should say not!" Larimar chuffed. "Perhaps if we weren't so preoccupied with the wars against the Alloys, we might have time for odd pursuits like that, but even still ... It's hard to feel that sort of feeling, especially for someone of a different gem type. The higher class gems might be able to afford that occasionally, but it's never talked about."

Priyanka pressed her lips into a thin line. She barely listened as the Larimar continued on. It was disturbing to her to hear what Homeworld was really like.

She worried that her grandchild might end up on this planet without anyone to truly care for them or love them.

Or worse. They may not learn to love at all.

Steven lay back on the examination table, watching as Connie was hooked up to several alien machines. He wasn't sure why he still expected the machines to resemble those in an Earth hospital, but he was shocked to see how alien everything was. A sleek probe, not unlike one of Peridot's robonoids, hovered above Connie's body, beeping and reading off numbers that Steven could not comprehend.

"She's stable," Larimar stated as Priyanka entered the room. She nodded and hooked up the IV drip to Connie's arm, Connie barely reacting to the sting of the needle.

"Ammi?" she whimpered, weakly.

"Shh. It's alright, I'm here," Priyanka replied, gently stroking her hair. "I'm going to put you under, alright? That way you don't feel anything during the tests."

Connie nodded weakly.

"I love you," Priyanka smiled sadly.

"I love you too mom," Connie whimpered before she turned to face Steven. Their eyes met and Connie tried to smile.

"I'll see you after this is done," Steven smiled, trying to reassure himself more than Connie. "I love you ..."

"I love you too," she replied.

Soon, Connie was in a deep sleep, unaware of anything happening outside. Steven watched the robonoid hover over her, continuing to relay numbers to Larimar who would simply nod and record them.

Priyanka walked over to Steven next.

"I'm going to do the same for you. It sounds like you're both going to be having a lot of testing done and I don't think you should have to be awake for all of it. I'll hook you up to an IV like we've done for Connie. She's also going to have a feeding tube to make sure she gets nutrients. I think she'll need to be under for much longer than you will," Priyanka explained. "She also seems to have not been getting enough nutrients normally, so I want to make sure she does and this feeding tube will be the best way to ensure it ... Have you ever had anesthesia before?"

Steven shook his head.

"OK. This will feel odd and you will get very tired, very quickly. But you'll be awake before you know it," Priyanka smiled.

As she placed the IV in Steven's arm, Steven hissing at the sting of the needle, Pearl entered the room and sat across from her.

"Is he going to be alright?" Pearl asked.

"Yes. He should do well with this. Hopefully his gem doesn't keep him from going under, but he seems to have human enough biology to keep that from being an issue."

Pearl smiled and ruffled Steven's hair.

"Have a good nap, Steven," she smiled, kissing his forehead.

Steven chuckled sadly, "I will."

Pearl left the room and Priyanka gently hugged Steven.

"I know I was upset, but I am happy that you and Connie found each other," she started. "Thank you for everything you have done for her."

Steven smiled and nodded, a tear rolling down his cheek.

Soon, he was asleep, floating through the nothingness of his subconscious.

"Wow, so that's what his tissues look like ..."

Priyanka watched as Larimar looked through images of the tissue samples taken from Steven. Parts of the muscle tissue still looked normal, but there were some abnormalities. As Larima zoomed in, she could see that the cells were held together by light. She then watched as Larimar brought up Connie's samples.

"Now, this is the curious thing. You can see with Steven that the cells are held together with this pink light. Almost like the light from a Rose Quartz physical projection. I could show you a proper gem projection some time to explain it to you if you like. When we look at Connie's cells ..." She zoomed in. "We can see something similar starting to occur ... however ..."

She went in closer. There was a faint mottling in the light that ebbed in and out. The other light swirled, colorless and faint.

"What is that?" Priyanka asked.

Larimar sighed and leaned back.

"Well ... I have a theory ..."

 _She had renounced her title by feigning death. She wasn't completely convinced that humans were worth rebelling against Homeworld over, but the more she studied them, the more she started to think that they might hold some key to defeating the Alloys. She had secretly experimented on several and started to come to a conclusion that there was something very interesting about the species. She wanted to present her findings, but she slightly feared the reaction. Rose seemed to have just as much of an affinity for these creatures as she did for the plants that she commanded in battle._

 _This latest test subject was the scientist's favorite. She was a dark skinned human from one of the tropical regions they had tried to set up a warp pad in. She spoke in a language very different from their light language. She was often huddled in the corner of her cell, uttering words under her breath that the gem couldn't even begin to understand. However, when it came to the actual tests, she was extremely compliant. She let the gem perform the tests on her without shedding a tear, her jaw clenched and her breathing controlled. Even as the gem began to begin the more controversial parts of her testing, the creature stayed obedient ... and alive._

 _Her tests would be short lived on this subject. She was found out by Rose Quartz' Pearl and told to cease her project. She had been so close, trying to tell Rose how she was working on integrating the information from a gem into a human subject and how this one seemed to have been the most receptive. She soon had to release the human, still keeping some of the samples she had taken._

 _Occasionally, when there was a lull in battle, the gem would return to her lab to study the tissues. She was pleased to see the blue glow that would occasionally ebb and shift. She often wondered what happened to that human and secretly hoped that she had survived to pass on the newly altered genes. She would be corrupted before she would find out._

Peridot watched as Amethyst paced in their holding cell. Her eyes darted between Amethyst and Pearl as the two gems showed their nervousness in different ways. Amethyst fumed and huffed.

"Why are we working with them? How do we know they aren't just going to shatter us and take them?"

Pearl was unresponsive, staring at Sapphire's gem in her hands. Peridot made her way over to Pearl and gently set a hand on her thigh.

"We have the upper hand. At least, I hope we do ... and when Steven is out of there, we can have him heal Ruby and then we'll have Garnet back," Peridot started.

"I'm just worried about what they are going to find ..." Pearl started. "I'm worried that we've all done something to harm Connie in some way. She may be human, but she feels like she's one of us now. We can't lose another core member of our team," she said, holding Sapphire's gem tight for emphasis.

"It's unprecedented," Peridot started. "I mean, Earth is the first planet I have heard of in Gem controlled space that has life that has this kind of sentience on it ... and before Steven, there weren't any hybrids. Steven's been fine, so Connie has to be OK ... and they're trying the new Kindergarten technique on her and maybe she'll survive it. She's a strong human, Pearl. I know she can do this."

The cell opened up and Blue Diamond's Pearl stepped in. She looked to the trio and then stared at Pearl.

"Larimar wishes to see you. She has some news."

The three gems rushed from the cell towards the lab and were greeted with a horrified look from Priyanka and a giddy look from Larimar.

"What's going on?" Peridot asked.

"Alright, so I had noticed something odd with the human female's -"

"Connie," Priyanka corrected.

"Yes, Connie's tissue samples. Look here. You can see the light that would signify a Rose Quartz' physical form ... This makes sense because of the fusion that these two had allegedly been able to create several times, however ..."

She showed the parts of the samples that showed the colorless light.

"This was puzzling. Now, I know that your Peridot has fused with her once before, but this does not seem like the energy signature for a Peridot. I began to decode it and search for matches and well ..."

She scrolled to another console. On the screen, a series of gem types were listed. Amethyst watched as Larimar scrolled through the images before stopping on a blue gem that had been faceted with a familiar shape. Larimar pulled up the file and then pulled up another window where she plugged in a code.

"S ... I ... O ... 4 ... R ... S ... I ... L ...5" she murmured as she typed. The group watched a robonoid activate and then hover over the sample tray and begin to manipulate the sample.

The light between the tissues began to glow a bright blue.

"I think I know what really happened to the previous Blue Diamond," Larimar chirped as Pearl's face matched the horrified expression on Priyanka's face.

"So ... what does this mean?" Amethyst asked.

"I would need to take a sample from the human mother to confirm, but I think that some early experimentation on the native species of this planet yielded a change in the DNA structure of several humans. This doesn't make them gems ... not at all ... but plugging this particular gem's information in can definitely affect the tissue in some way. I need to run more tests to see just how. Now, I want to try something, but I need to wait for Blue Diamond to return to the lab for me to do it ... I need to see how the Alloy would react to the different samples to know if I should try to activate this sequence in the hu- Connie or not - it would most likely affect the development of their offspring. Regardless, activating this might just save her."

"I don't think I want to know if I carry this," Priyanka started. "And how is this even possible? I mean, we're completely seperate species, as far as I know. You're not even made up of the same compounds! How is this even still in the genome?"

"To be fair, you humans have a lot of junk DNA. Just think of this as a retrovirus."

Priyanka gaped and continued to look at her daughter and Steven as the other robonoids in the room finished their check on their sleeping forms.

The chime of her phone pulled her out of her daze as she reached into her pocket.

She knew she would have to tell him eventually.

Doug wasn't sure who he was more angry with.

He couldn't believe that his daughter was pregnant, much less with an alien hybrid's child. He should have been more adamant about not allowing her to spend so many nights at Steven's house. It was bound to happen. Yes, she was an adult now, but she would always be his little girl. It was even worse, knowing that this could kill her.

He was upset at Priyanka for not telling him immediately. He had tried to stay composed over the phone with her, but he knew that she could hear the anger in his voice when he talked with her. And now his daughter was involved in some experiment because this pregnancy was literally killing her? He was seething the entire drive, barely focusing on the road.

He nearly hit the large, pink lion that bolted in front of the car.

"Oh boy," he growled as he slammed on his breaks. "More magic stuff."

The lion paused and turned to look at him, as if he heard the man in the car. His eyes glowed.

Doug pulled to the side of the road and got out, walking up to the big cat who seemed to bow down, as if to allow the man onto his back. Years ago, Doug would never have climbed onto the back of a lion, but now he felt he needed to. He knew that this animal was deliberate in everything he did. If he was stopping to gesture for him to ride him, then he knew he should probably listen.

He grabbed onto Lion's mane and slammed his eyes shut as Lion created a portal and leaped through. They were inside of Blue Diamond's ship in moments. Lion skidded to a stop, jarring Doug out of his tense state.

"Where are we?" he asked Lion.

Lion did not reply but started padding down the hallway, Doug following close they walked down the corridors, Doug could feel a sense of dread spreading through his entire being. This must have been the Diamond ship his wife had been talking about. He knew that these were the leaders of the Gem Homeworld. He knew that they had only one goal in mind for Earth.

He worried about how his daughter and wife were playing into it.

He placed his hand on the holster of his taser. He wasn't sure if that would work against Gems, much less a Diamond, but he had to at least try if things went South.

Lion paused, suddenly, and growled. Doug braced himself and then watched as Lion took off down a corridor. Doug followed and found himself in front of a door, a bristling Lion at his side.

The door opened and Doug was greeted by a towering, blue woman. She looked down at him, curiously, and smirked. The blue gem on her chest and her regal stature immediately let him know who she was.

"You must be the male parent of the subject we are studying. Come with me. I was just about to check on the progress of the tests."

Lion let out a low rumble. Doug looked at the cat who glared at the Diamond.

He had no choice, however. He needed to see his wife and his daughter.

... And possibly kill Steven.

 _He was drifting through an ocean of calm. There were no monsters to fight, no regimes to overthrow._

 _Everything was peaceful._

 _His peace was broken by a blue glow. He wondered at first if he had somehow drifted into Sapphire's subconscious. He banished the thought when he felt curiosity instead of sadness._

 _"Rose?" He felt someone ask him. He looked around, wondering where the feeling was coming from._

 _"No ... I'm her son, Steven ..."_

 _The feeling wrapped around him and then began to materialize. She was tall. Extremely tall. A long, plain yet elegant dress covered her body and her eyes were obscured by the cloak she wore. She seemed to stare at him, examining him distantly, before she reached her hands up to remove her cloak._

 _Steven watched as she revealed her face. She was a dark blue with piercing, intelligent eyes. Her lips were full, like his mother's, and her hair reminded him a lot of Connie's - long and dark. Her blue gem rested on her chest in a very hastily shaved cut that barely resembled a square._

 _She smiled._

 _"So, Rose's experiment was the successful one ..."_

 _Steven froze. He tilted his head._

 _"Experiment?"_

 _The blue woman mirrored his actions, like a child pacing with a tiger at the zoo. She smirked._

 _"So, where is she?" She asked._

Peridot sat on a chair in between Steven and Connie's sleeping forms. She was curled up in the chair, holding herself tight as if to keep herself from flying apart. She didn't usually like to partake in the human activity of sleeping, but she felt that she needed it now.

A gasp shook her out of her barely awake state. She jerked her head around to see Steven's eyes wide and darting around.

"Steven?" She asked him.

"I ... Where ... Connie!" He cried out, weakly grabbing at the IV.

"Steven!" Peridot cried out as she went to hold him down. "She's sleeping still. She's not going to wake up for quite a while!"

She braced herself as Steven struggled before winding down, panting and wild eyed. He slowly relaxed and Peridot released him. He pulled himself into a cross-legged position on the table and looked over Peridot's head to Connie.

"She's doing fine, Steven," Peridot started. "She's being monitored."

"But ... I think I saw another gem ... one of the bubbled ones that Pearl refused to let us un-bubble on the first battle on the beach ... I think she knew my mom ..."

"Of course she knew her, Steven," Peridot started. "I mean, most of the gems in the Temple were part of her original rebellion-"

"No, I mean she was close to her. Like a second in command or -"

"Ah, you're awake!" Larimar chirped as she walked into the laboratory. "There were some interesting readings that your robonoid was giving and I felt I should check on you. How are you feeling?"

Steven regarded the blue gem. There had been a slight twinge of fear in her voice as well as something else. Concern, perhaps?

He watched her as she made her way over to Connie's form and began to check on her as well.

"She's still stable. There were some interesting findings regarding the samples we took from her ... You might enjoy this, you might not," the gem continued. "You have indeed been leaving a little bit of your own energy signature behind with her whenever you fused, but there was something else we found. Her mother would not let us take samples to see if she also carried this, and I respect that, but your mate seems to be the result of an early experiment ..."

Steven gaped and then turned to look back at Peridot. The green gem refused to meet his gaze.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, we had heard rumors that the previous Blue Diamond had either been shattered early in the war or had also defected. We had also heard rumors of attempts at creating a new, undetectable super weapon during the war. It seems that my findings with your mate have confirmed some of these suspicions, in a way."

Steven looked to Connie who continued sleeping.

"See, I would like to attempt something with Connie that I successfully did with the samples I took from her. If I can do this, it might certainly save her as well as anyone that the Alloys come across. You see, this other energy that she has is dormant. It hasn't been activated in generations. However, we can insert a code that will activate it, giving her that extra bit of energy. She won't be a gem, not by any means, but this will help her. We're not sure what the effect will be on your offspring."

Steven looked to Connie and sighed. There wasn't any choice he could really make. He couldn't imagine life without her, having had her in his life for so many years. He wished he could ask her if this was alright, if she was OK with having this activated within her.

He sat down next to her and stroked her hair softly before pressing his forehead to hers.

"Did Priyanka say it was alright?"

"She told me to confirm with you. She thinks this might be for the best, as did I. The male parent did not quite agree -"

Steven paled.

"Oh no ... He's going to kill me."

"Nonsense!" Larimar laughed. "You're part gem! He would have to be a pretty strong creature to shatter you! And if Blue Diamond was correct, then your heritage alone would mean you are too strong to be taken down by a human. Granted, the male parent did state several threats before the female calmed him down. It was entertaining, to say the least."

"That's why I'm in here," Peridot mumbled. "I didn't find it entertaining ..."

"Regardless, what would you like us to do for your mate?"

Steven gently squeezed Connie's hand.

"Do it," he stated. "If it's going to save her life, then do it."

"Alright. We'll set the robonoids to insert the code and monitor both her and the unborn child. In the meantime, I do want to perform some tests, now that Blue Diamond is available. We'll have to do this in another part of the ship ... and be sure to have your shield ready ..."

 _"Subject 9509 did not react well to the shards from the Amethyst. I am running out of shards. I still have one more subject."_

 _Blue Quartz paced in her lab as her Pearl hastily cleared away the mangled body of her former subject. She looked to the final human. The dark skinned one that curled up in the corner. She would be the last hope for this experiment to succeed. If she captured any more, then Rose would know._

 _She continued to speak into her recorder._

 _"This is risky and I have wanted to do this anyway ... I don't have the tools that Rose had, but this will have to do."_

 _The blue gem sat down at her table and reached for a grinder. It was her sharpest and strongest, but she was not sure if she could do this without causing irreparable damage. She craned her neck down to see her gem._

 _The Diamond shape had been sickening to her in recent years. She had been in hiding with Rose Quartz and her Pearl ever since the battle where she had decided to defect. It was after a human had arrived to tend to her wounds, the small child that was strapped to her back crying from fear of the giant gems_ _that surrounded them. She had expected Rose to shatter her. Instead, she showed her humanity. Now the former Diamond was obsessed._

 _She sighed and brought the instrument to her gem and placed one hand underneath to catch the shards that would fall. She hissed as it touched the top of her gem. She nearly stopped from the pain, but continued, feeling the shards and shavings land in her open palm._

 _When she finished, she stored half of them for later testing before beginning the re-purposing process on her shards. She needed this to work._

 _She soon had a small vial of the material needed to begin the creation of a new gem. She sighed and walked over to the human in the cage._

 _"Please don't let this kill you," she whispered to her. "I need this to work ... we need to win ..."_

Steven stood, horrified, as the bubbled Alloy stood in front of him. Blue Diamond waited behind a viewing window, ready to reappear to bubble the creature if things got out of hand. Steven trembled, watching the creature snarl and thrash in the bubble.

A Peridot was in the room with him, one of Blue Diamond's (thankfully) and she trembled as she held a large, gem encrusted war hammer. She raised it and swung, popping the bubble.

She did not have a moment to think before the Alloy was on her. Steven cried out, watching as the creature seemed to ooze onto the gem as she yelled in anguish. Her cries were soon silenced as the Alloy seemed to melt before reforming into its natural state with a metallic copy of the Peridot next to it.

Steven could see Blue Diamond's face morph into one of concern as the creatures paced about. Steven shuddered, preparing himself to throw his bubble up or to summon his shield.

The creatures ignored him.

He breathed a sigh of relief as the creatures continued to pace and search. Every so often, the original Alloy would pause and tilt its head in Steven's direction before continuing its search.

Then, the Peri-Alloy discovered the door.

Steven's shield was out in moments and before either Alloy could react, his shield had sliced through the Peri-Alloy, scattering the seemingly liquid metal across the floor.

The original Alloy's head jerked towards Steven, its eyes sharp and trained. It rushed towards him.

Steven leaped out of the way and then towards one of the puddles of goo, bubbling it as he reached it. He did the same, quickly, for as many as he could before the original Alloy could rebound. He turned to see the Alloy charging and threw his bubble up, straining to keep it active as the Alloy pounded against it. He could feel the bubble weakening and prepared himself for a possible end before the pounding suddenly ceased. He looked to see Blue Diamond standing above him, her sword plunged through the Alloy's chest. The creature fell apart and was quickly bubbled. Steven dropped the bubble and looked to Blue Diamond.

"Interesting. It did not notice you until you used your shield. Even more interestingly, the parts you bubbled are not reforming ... You may have solved another problem, Steven."

She then turned to Larimar.

"Study one of the bubbled Alloy pieces. I want to know everything we can about them. And Steven?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you for all of your cooperation."

 _Connie had been mesmerized by the faint glow of the forming hybrid in her dream state. She watched as the light continued to figure out a form and pattern that it wanted to take._

 _She was excited and nervous. She had sometimes thought about starting a family with Steven (though much later, after everything had ended) and wondered if their child would be human or gem._

 _A part of her wondered if this was even real. She was dreaming, after all._

 _She tilted her head when she saw a change to the light. A blue tint started to appear. She soon realized this was leaking into her entire vision._

 _"What's going on?" She asked._

 _She could feel a twinge of strange instinct as the blue flooded her vision. An instinct that was completely alien and indescribable. She nearly panicked as she physically grew colder. She watched as the color of the gem changed from the bright pink to a very soft lilac. She could see the blue fade away from her vision, slightly, and continued to study the form of her child as the shape began to change slightly. The light mannequin shifted and changed, as if it were experimenting with a new form. Connie watched and barely noticed the increase in her own strength as the gem developed further._

 _Soon, she watched as her child began to physically develop under the bright light. She wondered if this was how Rose felt._

 _She wondered when she would be able to wake up._

Peridot and Steven watched, nervously, as Larimar buzzed around the lab. Peridot did not like those bubbled alloy parts being in the same place as Connie, especially after seeing it assimilate a Peridot, but she couldn't say much to dissuade Larimar from her studies.

Steven watched as Connie seemed to look more lively than she had since the pregnancy began. He had been watching her abdomen grow as the gem started to develop. He had to admit that this sort of thing always looked odd and somewhat frightening to him, but he continued to watch her anyway.

Doug had forgiven him, reluctantly, and made him promise to stay with his daughter, something Steven did not have a hard time doing. Doug had gone home, but Priyanka stayed behind to make sure that Connie's physical needs were being taken care of during her comatose state.

"I almost want to try taking her out of the coma," Larimar had stated once. "We can monitor her and make sure that she can sustain herself and the growing gem without help from the machinery. If this were to happen again without us here, we would need to know."

Priyanka was less sure of it and wanted to wait a little longer. Larimar had relented and busied herself with taking apart the Alloy.

"Oh my stars!" Steven and Peridot heard the gem exclaim from inside the lab. "This is amazing!"

Larimar rushed about, cleaning up the lab before reaching for her communicator to hail Blue Diamond.

The larger gem was in there in moments, watching as Larimar excitedly explained her findings. When Blue Diamond smiled, Larimar looked as if she was about to burst with pride.

Steven looked at one of the view screens and saw what Larimar was so excited about.

The Alloys were not singular, liquid metal entities.

They were tiny, colonial machines.

Pearl watched the blue gem glow with dread. She braced herself for the eventual panic that the gem would be in when she fully came to.

Sapphire's eye blinked open after she reformed and looked around.

"What happened?" she asked.

Pearl sighed and gently took Sapphire's hand.

"I am so sorry ... once Steven and Connie get out of here, we'll see if Steven can heal her. She was too quick and none of us could stop her ..."

"No ..." Sapphire whispered.

"She wouldn't have wanted to lose you. She must have been certain that she could protect you ... and she did."

Sapphire froze to the floor, ice crystals forming and spreading out from her.

"How is Steven?"

"He's been subjected to some tests and is waiting for a decision to be made on Connie ... They found something different with her that might have affected a large part of the human population. They've activated it and want to see if Connie can survive without being attached to everything."

Sapphire nodded and tried to warm up. She couldn't.

"They're going to do something horrible ..." Sapphire started. "We can't trust them."

"They gave their word that Connie and Steven can keep their child."

"They will ... but they're going to try something. I know it ..."

Pearl grimaced.

"Do you know what it is that they're going to do?"

"Yes ..."

"What is it?"

Sapphire was silent, watching the future unfold. She covered her mouth and gasped.

"So, they're defeat-able?"

"Yes!" Larimar chirped. "This is such wonderful news! We can win this war and maybe get rid of those pests once and for all!"

Steven smiled.

"So ... are we going to try and take Connie off of everything and wake her up?"

"In a few days ..." Larimar stammered. "I mean, we have to do it slowly. We can't just take her off in one go and expect her to be alright."

Steven nodded, understanding. Peridot raised an eyebrow, not completely trusting the Larimar at this moment.

"Anyway, you should retire to your sleeping quarters and rest up. We have a couple more tests we need to run and I want you awake for them."

As Steven and Peridot left, Larimar released the breath she didn't realize she had been holding. She walked over to Connie's sleeping form and pulled her tray over, removing a sharp instrument. The smooth, silver handle was cold in her hands. She sighed and began to make an incision, preparing a few more needle-like instruments. She stopped when she reached her target and dug in the instruments, taking several samples from the unborn hybrid. Soon, she pulled out a vial and looked about the room, making sure no one was observing her before emptying the vial onto her abdomen, healing both the mother and child.

She took one sample and placed it near the sample she took from the Alloy. She had noticed that the individual machines would continue to wriggle and react with a gem in close proximity. She watched, carefully, waiting to see the machines overtake the sample and integrate it.

They ignored it.

She hurriedly went and placed the samples into vials and watched as they reacted with the substance inside, glowing brightly. A smile spread across Larimar's face.

"Did you do it then?" she heard a voice behind her ask.

"Yes, my Diamond. We'll place them in the auxiliary lab and use the new technique to grow them."

"Wonderful. Take them in. I'll begin preparing her for awakening."

Larimar nodded and rushed out of the room with the vials. Blue Diamond strode over to Connie, sitting next to her. She smiled. She did slightly resemble the previous Blue Diamond, as had her mother. She wondered how many other humans shared this same mutation. How many more could have it activated and serve as living kindergartens. While Blue Diamond had created this mutation, she had never made it into something that could be activated by simply a human presence.

No. Rose had provided the final catalyst with Steven.

She smiled.

"Congratulations, Rose. You created a new species ..."


	21. Twelve Years Later

A/N- I'm back! Sort of!

So, the chapters are kind of going to be coming a little slower than normal because recovery from surgery is kicking my butt (regulars to my streams are familiar with this). I also will have a couple fics for the ficlet collection and will be setting up another one.

This one has a bit of a time jump and is still extremely canon divergent.

And there's a cliff hanger. Sorry.

Feel free to read and review! I'm hoping everything still reads well. According to the folks in the stream, this reads alright, so here goes!

-Four Faces

She hated this post most of all. She would rather have been shattered and reprocessed than work on these rotations.

They were easy enough missions, anyway. She just needed to pilot the ships and send out the Rose de France Quartz soldiers and wait until they returned. She was no better than a Peridot now.

She hated everything about this type of Quartz soldier. She hated their name, she hated their looks, everything. They reeked of their home planet. They reminded her of failure. They reminded her of the past.

They reminded her of the Crystal Gems and Rose Quartz.

She had landed on an older former colony that had since been taken by the Alloys. This was a more dangerous mission, a squadron of twenty of the Rose de France soldiers had been sent out with her instead of the usual five. She watched as the small Quartz soldiers sneaked out towards the outpost and worked their way towards a central base camp for the Alloys. She sighed and pressed a button on her console, pulling up a hologram. Entertainment was given to her in the form of projections of Lazuli performances (how much more punishment were they willing to give her?), but at least it was better than watching these reminders of her failure do the job she was meant for.

A bright glow shook her out of her reverie. This had never happened before.

The screams came next and she bolted upright. Five of the twenty soldiers came running into view, chased by the liquid, metal mass. One was taken down and screamed in pain.

She had to get out of there. She began to power on the ship, preparing for take off.

One of the small Quartz soldiers noticed and began to push ahead more earnestly, her small legs carrying her towards the ship.

She had to get there before she was overtaken. Before her escort left.

"Please, open the door!" She cried out over her communicator. "You are clear on all sides, but you can't leave me here to be shattered!"

Something about the plaintive cry of the Quartz pierced her heart. Jasper opened the door to the ship and watched as the Quartz barely made it in, slamming the door shut on the Alloys that were in pursuit.

"We need to get out of here, now! No time to secure yourself," Jasper instructed as she prepared for takeoff.

The ship rocketed up, away from the danger for now. As they began to break away from the planet's orbit, Jasper could hear the soft whimpering from the rear of the ship's bridge.

"You're fine," she gruffly grumbled. "You didn't even get hurt."

"No ... but all the others did ... I didn't know that they could do that. Homeworld said we were immune ..."

"You're only partially human," Jasper sighed, exasperated. They are attracted to gem energy, not human ... who activated their weapon?"

"Facet 5, Cut 9X," the quartz snapped automatically. "She was frightened by an assimilated Pearl. I'm not sure why it always seems to be Pearls that send our kind into episodes. Luckily, I was closer to the ship."

"So, the bomb never detonated."

"Negative."

"We have to go back."

"Are you cracked?" The Quartz started. "If we land with all of that activity going on, then we will both be assimilated and they will have even more access to our secrets. How thrilled would they be to have a disgraced diamond and even more Rose de France Quartz in their grasp? We are not going back. Not until the activity level dies down on that planet."

Jasper grumbled and set a course for Homeworld. The hybrid Quartz would need sustenance soon. She watched as the small gem stared at the wall of the ship, unblinking and in her own world.

They did not notice the skittering sound in the belly of the ship.

The beach was warm and sunny, a perfect day for the young girl that lived in the Temple on the beach to go outside and play.

There were no missions that she could go on today, and she was old enough to take care of herself on these warm summer days. She strolled down the beach, feeling the warmth on her tan skin and enjoying the occasional breeze that whipped through her nearly black hair when she saw him.

She had only seen the boy a few times, but there was something that kept pulling her to talk to him. She hadn't yet, of course, but she wanted to. The young boy had wavy blonde hair that reached his shoulders and seemed to have a soft blue tint to his skin that reminded her a little bit of ice. He stared out at the sea, forlornly. She watched him as he sat, watching the waves come in. She was going to walk over to him and perhaps see what he was so interested in when she noticed the waves starting to get choppier. She tensed as she saw a creature begin to emerge from the water. She had been told by her parents and guardians about the creatures that they sometimes had to fight, but she never thought she would see one in person, especially without any of them near.

These creatures were rarer now and would always end up transforming after a few days into a humanoid creature. It would always delight the girl because it was like a scene out of the books she read with her mother and father. They were like princesses under an evil curse. She liked to think she was going to help save them some day. Of course, she knew that they were not really princesses (she was well aware of what gems were) but sometimes, she liked to imagine that they were.

The creature rose out of the ocean on spindly legs, its gem encrusted carapace twinkling in the sun. If it weren't for the spider-like appendages and the terrifying mandibles, this could almost have been a beautiful creature. A cursory look let her know that this was an Emerald. She had practiced with one of her grandmothers and now was the time to put it into practice. She brushed away the hair on her forehead, revealing a small, lilac gem.

"Watch out!" she cried out to the boy, running towards him as the gem on her forehead glowed. He looked up at her, eyes widened, as she summoned and launched a blue Trishul at the creature's eye before enclosing herself and the boy in a pink bubble.

"What is that?" He gasped.

"You must be new to Beach City," she smiled. "My name is Reeya. I live on the beach with my family. That was an Emerald. I need to get you to safety while she's distracted and then I can finish the fight with her. She could have hurt you!"

She began to roll the bubble towards the cliff, away from the corrupted Emerald who was busy howling and trying to remove the Trishul from her eye. When she felt they were safe enough, Reeya dropped the bubble and ran back toward the Emerald, summoning another Trishul before leaping at her with a loud cry. The boy watched, horrified, as Reeya stabbed and swiped, dodging the Emerald's attacks. Reeya slid under the Emerald's underbelly and looked up, noticing the gem of the creature. She smiled and then stabbed up, just to the side of it, into the Emerald's soft underbelly. The Emerald shrieked and retreated into her gem with a puff of smoke. Reeya smiled as the gem landed in her hands before she bubbled it and sent it to the Temple. She turned and saw the boy staring at her, mouth agape.

"That was so cool!" He cried out. "How did you do that?"

"I'm a Gem ... kind of! My dad is half Gem and my mom kind of has some Gem in her ... I guess? Most of my family is Gem though!" She grinned. "Technically, I'm a Rose de France Quartz! My aunts say I'm the only one of my kind! My Nani is the one who figured out what kind of Gem I am. Even though she's human, she's still really good with Gem stuff!"

"Oh cool ..."

"We're magic. We defend the Earth from corrupted gems and try to heal them. There aren't as many corrupted ones anymore since my dad healed a lot of them. We also help gems get used to human society."

"So ... like ... they're rock people?" The boy asked, confused.

Reeya giggled.

"Sort of ... I mean, all of their energy is stored in their gem and their bodies are just illusions ... not mine or my mom or dad's though," She explained. "So, are you just vacationing here? I only see you occasionally on the beach and rarely anytime except for summer."

"Well, we used to vacation here to visit my family, but my dad moved us out here to help my grandpa with his business. He says my uncle is 'kinda useless' so that's why we're here," The boy explained. "My name is Calvin ... you said you live here on the beach?"

"Yeah!" She smiled. "Come on! I'll show you!"

She grabbed his hand and paused for a moment. There was a spark between the two for just a moment. Reeya brushed it off and laughed nervously, taking the blushing Calvin back to the Temple. Calvin was awestruck, not even knowing that there had been a temple on the beach this entire time. Even more interesting to him was the house built into the side of it. The pair ran up the steps of the Beach House just as the warp pad activated. Reeya squealed with delight and ran in as a tall, thin woman with a round white gem in the center of her head appeared next to two taller people, one of them a maroon woman with shades that covered her eyes, and the other was a very attractive person with a skin tone similar to Reeya's and long dark hair. Their jaw was very strong, their body slightly curvaceous. Calvin watched as Reeya sprinted towards them, cheering.

"Garnet! Pearl! Stevonnie! You'll never believe what happened!" She cheered.

The attractive person laughed and picked her up and twirled her around. "Hi sweetie! What happened?"

"It was so cool, Stevonnie," Reeya started. "I -"

"She poofed and bubbled an Emerald," the maroon woman said with a small smile.

Stevonnie gasped. "Really? That is so wonderful, Reeya! We are so proud of you!"

Reeya beamed.

"It also looks like you've made a friend," the thin one smiled. "Who's this, Reeya?"

"Oh! This is Calvin, Grandma Pearl!" Reeya cheered. "He was on the beach when the Emerald showed up! It was kind of weird because the Emerald seemed to attack him first and he's a human, but I took care of it. He moved here with ..."

Calvin looked over at the maroon woman who stared at him. He felt uncomfortable under the scrutiny of her gaze. He noticed a small quirk in her lips as she smirked.

"Garnet, did you want to go into the Burning Room and grab the gem so Steven can work with her tonight?" Pearl whispered to the maroon one.

The maroon woman nodded and made her way to the Temple Door before looking back at Calvin with a warmer smile.

"It was nice to meet you Calvin. I look forward to seeing you again."

Calvin tilted his head as Garnet disappeared.

"She has Future Vision," Reeya explained. "So, she knows that we're going to hang out again someday." She then turned to Stevonnie again. "Would it be alright if I talk to mom and dad now?" Reeya asked sheepishly.

"Of course!" Stevonnie laughed. "See you later, sport!"

Soon, Stevonnie glowed and a tall, stocky, light skinned man appeared holding a smaller, dark skinned woman. They pressed their heads together with a smile before turning to look at Calvin and Reeya. The man knelt down, arms wide for a hug. Reeya embraced him tightly before turning to embrace her mother as well. She then turned to Calvin who stood, amazed, watching them.

"Calvin, this is my mom and dad, she chirped."

Calvin sheepishly waved.

"Hi Mr. and Mrs. ..."

"Universe," Steven smiled. "But you don't have to be so formal. My name is Steven and this is Connie," he laughed.

"It's wonderful to meet you. Wait. Reeya, is this the boy who you told us about last year?" Connie asked, a playful smile spreading across her face.

The girl blushed and stammered.

"Come on, Connie," Steven joked. "You don't want to mess with her 'funky flow'."

At this, Reeya scrubbed her hand down her face in embarrasment before dragging Calvin away from her chuckling parents.

"Wow," he gasped, looking around. "I had no idea that this part of the beach even existed, much less that there were rock people here! So, your mom and dad were also ..."

"Oh, Stevonnie? Yeah, she's what's called a fusion. Lapis says that it is something that the gems do to take down bigger enemies. I'm not sure if I can fuse or not since I'm not fully gem, but my mom and dad do it all the time, so I bet I could, eventually."

"Who's Lapis?" Calvin asked.

"Oh! She's one of the gems! She lives in the ocean with her girlfriend, I think. I don't get to see her much, but occasionally she'll help out with a corrupted gem if Garnet says that we need Lapis' abilities. I'm just kind of surpried that we haven't seen Peridot or Amethyst -"

The door to the Temple opened and out stepped the aforementioned gems, Amethyst cheerful and joking, a smile on her lavender face, and Peridot, sleepily walking, her green face slightly flushed. Amethyst flitted into the kitchen, grabbing an assortment of foods to mix together in some horrifying amalgamation. Peridot simply sat on the kitchen stool before looking over to see Reeya. She immediately perked up and scurried over.

"Reeya! I didn't know you were up! This is great! Amethyst and I could watch that reboot of Camp Pining Hearts with you and -" She stopped when her eyes locked with Calvin's. She quirked an eyebrow. "Who is this, Reeya?" she asked. "He isn't bothering you, is he?"

Reeya laughed.

"No, no! He was on the beach and an Emerald attacked, so I saved him!" Reeya grinned. "Calvin, this is Peridot! She's kind of like an aunt to me also!"

Peridot tilted her head at him.

"You seem familiar. Are you sure I haven't met him, Reeya?" She asked.

"Pretty sure. I mean, this is the boy I had been talking about last summer that was on the beach, but I don't think you ever actually saw him.

"Hmm," Peridot nodded. "Well, before you can be approved as a friend for Reeya, I need to know what your view on Camp Pining Hearts is," the gem joked.

"No ..." Reeya started. "Calvin, if she starts to make you uncomfortable with this -"

"Nonsense! If he hasn't seen it, then we'll all watch it together," Peridot grinned, pulling both of them to the couch in front of the TV. Reeya groaned, embarrassed at the impression her "aunt" was making on Calvin.

As they watched TV, Calvin couldn't help but feel an oddly nostalgic feeling looking around the Beach House. Being around the gems felt oddly comforting, even if they were strange. He couldn't help but feel a strange kinship with the green gem that sat in between himself and Reeya. Like he had known all of them before somehow.

It was impossible, of course. He had never really met any of them (and had only seen Reeya from afar once or twice ... and come to think of it, he may have seen Steven at his grandfather's restaurant on occasion. Perhaps that was why this felt familiar.

He looked over at Reeya who blushed the moment they locked eyes. She only felt familiar to him in the way that the gems generally felt familiar, but there was something else about her. Something that tugged at a part of his soul (and made the strange birthmark he had on his back ache in a way it never had before). He wasn't sure why he felt his way, but he easily brushed it off as he eased himself into a conversation with her about books and the curious happenings of gem culture.

Calvin strolled down the boardwalk on his way to meet up with his father. The sun had nearly disappeared from the sky, causing feelings of dread to seep into his mind once again. His grandfather always told him that Calvin's father tended to be more of the anxious sort, so he wondered if that was why he got anxious so easily. He wondered if he got anything from his mother.

No, his dad did say he got something from her but never really mentioned what. Probably his odd birthmark ... That was what his dad called it, anyway, whenever he asked about it. Said that no one else in the family had it.

He sighed and continued on past the different shops on the boardwalk. His dad always said that almost nothing ever changed here. He wondered how true that really was. He had passed the Big Donut which still held the now rustic sign that had adorned many blogs online for how "retro" it was. Outside, a thin, rather crusty looking man swept. His hair was cut rather short, but there was evidence that he had once had gauges in his ears, something that was starting to come back into style again. He looked at the boy and huffed before continuing his work. Calvin sighed and continued walking.

One thing had changed though. While Fish Stew Pizza still sat on the boardwalk next to his father's current place of employment, the staffing had changed. Kofi, Jenny, and Kiki still worked there (much to Jenny's chagrin), but Nanefua had passed three years prior. Calvin remembered coming to Beach City for the funeral. It had been quite the event and he vaguely remembered now seeing Reeya and her mother and father there as well. Strange that he hadn't thought of it then. He had also never thought much about the strange woman that worked there. As he passed the restaurant, he met eyes with her, noticing the golden gem on her hand.

Suddenly, the name "Citrine" made sense. He wondered how many other gems were scattered throughout the city and how he never noticed them before.

He made his way into Beach Citywalk Fries and smiled, seeing his grandfather ambling about with an order of fries to a table in the corner.

"Well, hi there, Calvin!" The aging man smiled. "Your dad is in the back trying to get your useless uncle to help out with the grease traps. Why don't you sit down and I'll get you something to drink, kiddo."

"Thanks gram-pa," he replied, sitting at an empty table.

His grandfather disappeared into the back and out came the boy's father. A slender man wearing a uniform similar to his grandfather's. His wavy hair was cut shorter but he still resembled his son closely.

"Hey there, Calvin. I didn't know you were coming in so soon. Uncle Ronaldo was trying to slack off in the kitchen, so I needed to motivate him, otherwise I would've seen you come in, kiddo," he smiled, ruffling Calvin's hair. "How was your day?"

"Pretty good. I met someone on the beach."

"Oh? Who did you meet?"

"A girl. Her name was Reeya and I guess she lives on the beach in a temple ..." Calvin started, not noticing his father's expression change from happiness to sadness. "She said she was a gem ... or part gem at least. I didn't even know those were a thing!" Calvin exclaimed. "But she was really cool and she had a really cool, really large family."

"Heh, you don't say-"

"PeeDee, I'm sending Ronaldo home early again," Calvin's grandfather stated as he ushered Ronaldo out of the kitchen. The man was hunched over, complaining the entire way out as he was escorted. "It's more efficient to just work the two of us and not have him in our way today."

"I tell you, I'm onto something about those gems on the beach, Dad," Ronaldo explained. "Oh, hey Calvin," he said as he passed. Calvin took notice of how tense his father suddenly became as Ronaldo passed them. "But Dad, you have to let me work on this theory!"

"Not on work time. You can do it at home, unpaid!" The older man said with a final shove out the door before returning to sit down with his son and grandson. "Sorry you had to see that, Calvin. Your uncle has always had these crackpot theories about things that happen in he town. Granted, he was sort of right with the gems, but he keeps thinking that it's something bigger than it actually is. Though, lately, he's been on about robots or some nonsense like that. Anyway, how was your day, sport?"

"He was just telling me about how he found the Temple on the beach, Dad," PeeDee started.

"Oh ..."

"What's wrong with that temple?" Calvin asked. "Was I not supposed to go there?"

PeeDee looked to his grandfather.

"I think it's time you at least start to tell him a little bit, PeeDee," he smiled. "He's going to find out eventually."

PeeDee sighed and scrubbed his face with his hand.

"I'll tell you after work, alright, PeeDee? Why don't you and grandpa chat for a little bit?"

Calvin watched has his dad left for the cash register to take a few final orders for the night. He turned to his grandfather who looked after PeeDee sadly.

Maybe he didn't want to know.

Jasper watched as the Rose de France Quartz slept in a corner of the ship's bridge. She sighed in annoyance and returned her attention ahead. It was Facet 9A Cut 3X that had survived, she had assessed. Not really anything remarkable about this one, other than that she had outsmarted and outrun the Alloys. She supposed that had to count for something.

She often thought back to Blue Diamond's idea of mercy. There was still no actual Yellow Diamond in the court now, but most of the gem society had no idea. The Labradorites that ran the propaganda ministries were very effective at their jobs. She was still bitter about this, of course. She had just been doing what her predecessor had wanted. Did they not realize that Yellow Diamond's faction was all about honor. Those Crystal Gems did not have any honor. They did not deserve the treaty that had been worked out.

She grumbled, switching the ship to auto-pilot. She leaned back and turned on the approved entertainment once again. The Lapis Lazuli that danced in the hologram was different from the one before. This one's gem was on her throat. She was a special one. One that could have been Jasper's favorite if it weren't for her current prejudice against the entire gem type. Instead of simply dancing with the water, she controlled it with a beautiful voice as well. Jasper felt herself involuntarily smiling at the performance, letting herself get lulled into a trance.

She heard a strange scuffling sound and immediately perked up. That was not a normal sound for the ship. She turned off her program and began to head towards the sound. She passed the sleeping Quartz and huffed.

 _Stupid organic._

She continued on, winding through the corridors of the ship. She was at least pleased that this was a larger ship than her previous missions. She felt nostalgic for the hand ships of Yellow Diamond's faction, but she supposed White Diamond's ships were alright. She had even been given the Diamond shaped one, similar in shape to the Diamond Line Communicators. At least, whenever she landed on a planet, she could pretend that all who saw the ship would know that it was piloted by a Diamond.

She reached the central observation deck and listened for the noise again.

She froze in terror when she realized it sounded like it was dangerously close to the ship's heart. She bolted to the controls and locked down every door on the ship, launching the ship into its fastest possible speed. She couldn't take them to Homeworld. She would be shattered if she did.

But where else could she go and still have resources for the sleeping Quartz?

She knew the answer of course. It was so obvious, but she was not pleased with it. How would they be received on landing? She pondered making a landing in one of the less inhabited areas and decided on her course of action.

She opened the hatch near the heart's chamber, hoping that the Alloy would get sucked out of the ship as she set a course for Earth.


	22. The Mouse

A/N: In this chapter, we see what happens to the mouse ...

I sat on this one for quite a while and I'm really hoping this one turned out alright. I'm going to slowly start transitioning away from our previous main characters since some other characters are about to start quite the journey.

This is also starting to turn into a four part story.

Thank you for all the reviews and favorites!

-FourFaces

The western half of the United States had been uninhabited for several centuries. The only life there currently were plants and some smaller animals. Deer had only recently made a comeback, spreading no farther west than about fifty miles outside of Kansas.

The life forms that were beginning to push their way further west tended to be small rodents, snakes, and birds. The Beta Kindergarten had finally had some creatures colonize the area, with a few sparrows and mice skittering about the shrubs that had tried to take back the land.

A little further west, a lush forest had sprung up behind the canyon walls, reclaiming the land for the Planet Earth. Gem activity had ceased there long ago and no one ever returned there. Even the corrupted gems avoided this place, almost instinctively. This area had not seen any sentient life forms, human or gem, in centuries.

Planes and helicopters even viewed this part of the country as a no-man's land. if one were to land there, they would be lost forever in the trees. Hawks and eagles had a hard time navigating through the wild plants that sprung up there, so they mostly avoided the area, making it a haven for smaller animals.

This is why the dark shadow that loomed overhead sent the forest into a deafening silence.

The last creature to frantically scramble for cover had been a small field mouse who had been hastily caching away food. It would have to return for it later.

She had gone up to do laundry when she saw Garnet standing by the dryer staring off into the difference.

She hasn't been the same since ...

"Hey, Garnet," Connie smiled.

Garnet turned and looked at Connie with a weak smile.

"Hello there, Connie," Garnet greeted. "Coming up to do some laundry?"

"Yeah. Steven's working with Reeya on learning how to create things n Rose's Room so I figured I would take the time to tidy up a bit."

Garnet nodded and smiled.

It was unnerving being around the fusion sometimes. She had become even more quiet than normal, no doubt an influence of mostly having Sapphire in control. Connie could feel her heart drop whenever she saw Garnet look at her left palm. Most of Ruby's gem had been fixed, but a small shard had gone missing, no doubt lost forever on the sand of the beach. Somehow, she had managed to regenerate, but she was so quiet now, often forgetting where she was or what had happened to her (at one point, she had even forgotten Steven and Amethyst which broke both of their hearts). Her form often glitched when she was by herself, especially if she tried too hard to remember or focus on what she had been like before.

With Sapphire, however, she could almost remember.

Fusion was a necessity now. She really could not be separated from the other corundum gem. Sapphire worried that if she was on her own for too long, Ruby could easily crack completely. She had put most of her energy into keeping Ruby together now.

Connie watched as Garnet sighed and leaned back against the dryer.

"I can't focus long enough to find a future where Ruby is complete again. I can barely focus on any futures regarding her ... or Sapphire ... I guess it's a blessing. I can focus on any corrupted gems we find or any signs of Homeworld breaking their truce. I just ... I know this isn't how I'm supposed to feel."

Connie set down the laundry basket and sat on the washer, next to Garnet.

"We'll find the shard someday, Garnet. We'll find it and then Steven can heal Ruby's gem completely."

Garnet smiled.

"That's a nice thought ... I hope ..."

She paused and stared ahead for a moment. Connie watched as Garnet's brows furrowed.

"Hmm ... We may need to make a trip out to the Beta Kindergarten. The warp there is broken, so we'll have to take the long way. I don't foresee Lion being much help this time around," she smirked knowingly. A small part of the old Garnet had come through in that split second, but Connie could not focus on that. The sudden interruption of Garnet's thoughts meant that this was something serious.

Connie tilted her head.

"Corrupted gem?" She asked.

"No ... I'm not sure."

Connie nodded and watched as Garnet went to the warp pad and disappeared, no doubt to head into the Burning Room. She sighed and began to separate the clothes to put it into the washing machine. She decided this would be her last bit of normalcy before heading off to defeat some unknown enemy.

She was awakened by the jostling of the ship. She looked around, confused, until she saw Jasper at the controls of the ship, cursing and spitting.

"What's going on?" the small Quartz soldier asked.

"We're making a detour. We just need to get to this one planet, grab some supplies, and then find a way back to Homeworld to report-"

A loud bang distracted both of them, followed by the blaring of alarm bells.

"Shards!" Jasper cursed, pulling up a screen to look at the Crystal Heart. The stowaway Alloy was skittering about the heart, absorbing energy from it. "It didn't get sucked out!"

"You have one of those on board?" the Quartz cried out. "Where were you trained? The Corundum Kindergarten? My stars, you're a mess!"

"Shut it, Rose-" Jasper started before paling.

She didn't like to admit how close that name was to the former Diamond who she hated so much. Every time the name slid out of her mouth, however, it stung and choked her, reminding her of her failures and of the hybrid that bore her gem on that worthless planet.

"Jasper? Jasper!" the Quartz barked out. "What are we going to do?"

Jasper shook her head and watched as their target destination grew closer. There was a chance that the ship would burn up in the atmosphere now that the heart had been compromised. The shielding was weakened and would soon be completely gone if the Alloy kept up its' siphoning.

She looked over at the small gem hybrid that stared out the view screen at the growing planet.

There was one other option.

"Come with me," Jasper growled.

The pair left the bridge, heading for the farthest facet of the ship. Jasper searched the floor until she found what she was looking for.

"Stay next to me," she commanded.

The hybrid complied and grabbed tightly onto Jasper who smacked the floor with her hand, summoning a Diamond-shaped escape pod around them.

"Alright, you need to stay curled up in case we have a rough landing. You're not a full gem so you could still get seriously injured."

A nod and then Jasper pressed the button that launched them away. She watched as the ship grew smaller as they rocketed towards the Earth. The large, Diamond ship was still coming down after them, glowing red hot as it entered the atmosphere behind them. The ship shook but continued on its path after them, remaining in tact.

"No ... " Jasper whispered.

The ship did not break up completely as it crashed down behind them. She had been hoping for that, for some way of destroying the Alloy.

Instead, it seemed to remain intact. She cringed, knowing what this meant.

They would have no way off of this planet unless they could repair the ship's heart after landing. There was also a chance that the Alloy would survive the landing. Both thoughts made Jasper shudder as she attempted to set a course away from the trajectory of the doomed ship. They would not survive if the ship continued to bear down on them.

She steered the ship towards the ocean in the west in hopes that they would be able to safely land ...

And avoid the Crystal Gems.

Calvin stared at the cylindrical object in his hands, turning it over and examining it. It was simple and sleek, a gem embedded in one side of it.

"This was your mother's," was all that his father had said. He didn't explain what it was or why he had it, but he had given it to him, trying to explain what had happened to his mom before he quietly excused himself and left him alone in his room.

He knew his mother had gone away. Calvin just never knew what happened. It didn't sound like she had just left. It was almost as if ...

He sighed and leaned back on his pillow. He set the object down next to him and stared at it.

His chest ached. He reached and felt his birthmark that sat in the center of his chest. Now, he questioned it where before he had just believed that it was a weird birthmark and that was that.

He pulled out his phone and began to look for Reeya's number. He found it and called.

Three rings in, the phone picked up.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Reeya," Calvin started. "I have a couple questions about gem stuff but ... I think I need to see you in person to ask them."

"Oh! Hi, Calvin! Sure! I can meet up with you! I just got done with some training so I'd love to see you!"

Calvin smiled.

"Great ... Um ... Maybe I'll see you at my dad's restaurant? He works at Beach Citywalk Fries-"

"No way! I love that place! I'll see you there soon then! Maybe my dad will come with me!" Reeya chirped.

"OK great," Calvin grinned. "I'll see you there soon then!"

He heard her cheerfully calling for her dad before hanging up. He smiled and looked down at the object again before jumping off of his bed and running to get his hoodie. He could carry it in his hoodie while he ran down to his dad's fry shop. Then no one would ask him what he was carrying (because he quite frankly didn't know).

He ran out the door, locking it behind him, and headed towards the boardwalk. As he walked, he felt as if the world was opening up to him for the first time. The woman who lived next door, Ametrine, suddenly wasn't just someone who looked like they might have a strange skin condition and two too many arms. She was a gem. The person who assisted with the mail carriers that was an eerie shade of green? A gem.

There were so many mixed in with the citizens of Beach City and he hadn't even thought about it until now.

As he walked past Fish Stew Pizza, he found himself running into Citrine again. The gem smiled to him and ruffled his hair.

"You're the Fryman boy, aren't you?" She laughed. "It's good to see you! You've gotten so big!"

He nodded and smiled up at the glassy-yellow skinned woman. A multifaceted, golden gem sat on her hand, just as he had noticed before. He couldn't help but stare at it.

"Hi Ms. Citrine," he started.

"Ahh ... You must have finally learned about Gems. It's alright to look at it," she laughed, showing him her hand. "I bet you have all sorts of questions, huh?"

He gaped but was quickly distracted by Reeya's cheerful voice.

"Calvin! Hi!"

He whipped his head around and looked back at Reeya and Steven who walked hand in hand down the boardwalk. He looked back at Citrine who chuckled.

"It figures you would have met Reeya. Just don't hurt her," she started. "She's like a niece or whatever you humans call it to me."

The teasing grin sent a chill through Calvin, but he ignored it and ran over to Steven and Reeya. Reeya greeted him immediately with a hug (something that sent a strange feeling through his chest).

"So, Calvin, I hear you have a few questions?"

"Yeah," he started. "Let's go into my dad's shop and we can talk about it."

Steven smiled and let Calvin lead the way. As he walked in, Steven looked around, wondering which of the Fryman Brother's was Calvin's dad.

He hoped it wasn't Ronaldo.

They sat down at a table and Calvin dug into his hoodie pocket before pulling out the object. Steven looked down and froze.

"Woah! Cool! Where was that from?" Reeya chirped.

"My dad had it," Calvin started. "He said it belonged to my mom, but he didn't tell me what it was ... Since it looks like there's a gem in it, I wondered ..."

"I didn't think I would ever see this gem again," Steven whispered.

"What?" Calvin asked.

"Um ... who was your mother?" Steven asked.

"I don't know," Calvin admitted. "My dad doesn't like talking about her and got really upset after he gave this to me. He only gave it to me after I mentioned you, Steven."

Steven stared at the object.

"This belonged to Labradorite," he started. "She was a gem who I was able to heal, but I wasn't able to heal her companion, Azureite. She didn't deal with the loss very well but asked us to put her gem into a weapon for her. She disappeared not long after that ... I always wondered ..."

"What?" Calvin asked.

"Um ..." he started, "This will sound a bit strange ... Did you ever have anything strange happen to you? Like ... being able to summon a weapon randomly, or heal someone almost magically ... or age slowly?"

"No ..." Calvin started before he suddenly remembered. "Wait! I do have a weird birthmark!"

Steven and Reeya froze, eyes wide. Steven stared in horror as Reeya gasped in excitement.

"Where is it?" Reeya asked.

"On my chest! It's kinda weird looking," Calvin started as he pulled down his shirt, "but my dad said it looks a lot like my mom's -"

Reeya and Steven gaped as they watched Calvin reveal the blue and golden "birthmark" on his chest.

"I'm going to have to tell Garnet ..." Steven whispered.

"What is it, Dad?" Reeya whspered.

"We finally found out where she went ..."

Connie had made her way back to the living room of the Beach House to start putting away laundry when she heard the scratch at the door. She chuckled and walked over, seeing Lion standing there, waiting to be let in. He had shrunk considerably in the last twelve years, going from his previously massive size to about the size of a leopard. His mane was receding and his once pink coat gave way to bold stripes. He was beginning to look like the house cat that Steven had described to her all those years ago. She smiled and patted the large cat on the head as he came into the house. He purred and rubbed his head against her before making his way over to the pile of laundry. She was too slow to stop him as he lay down on top of it.

Even though he was smaller, he was still nearly impossible to move.

She laughed and sat down next to the big cat, stroking his soft fur. She watched as the big cat slept before she leaned back and closed her eyes for a moment. A nap probably was a good idea right now anyway.

She was awakened suddenly from her nap by the banging of the screen door as she heard Reeya's voice clamoring over Steven's quiet mumbles to someone else. She opened one eye and watched as Reeya dragged Calvin in excitedly, while Steven smiled at him apologetically. He turned to Connie and grinned.

"Sorry for waking you up, honey. We've got some ... news," Steven started.

"I do too," Connie smiled. "I figure Garnet can tell you when she gets here if you like." She stretched and sat up. "So, what's your news?"

"Calvin's a gem!" Reeya blurted out excitedly.

Connie's eyes widened as she locked eyes with Steven.

"Well, I'm half gem ... on my mother's side," Calvin mumbled. "I guess ..."

"So, he can probably go on missions with us when I can start going! And he can train with Grandma Pearl! And ..."

Reeya' excited chattering seemed to melt away as Steven and Connie shared a silent moment together, eyes locked on each other. This changed so many things now. Connie instantly knew who Calvin's mother had to be. There was only one Gem who had completely gone missing after the battle. She couldn't think of why this could have happened or how. Now though, Steven wasn't the only truly half gem hybrid. Another gem had obviously given up their form to bring Calvin into the world.

She was certain, however, that this was only superficially similar to Rose and Greg.

She could tell, looking into Steven's eyes, that he must have felt the same way.

Smoke curled up from behind the canyon walls. The creatures of the forest had cleared the area for the most part the moment that the shadow had come too close. There were no signs of movement for several minutes after the impact of the Diamond Ship.

The wreckage was twisted and smoldering, spread about after the explosion of the Crystal Heart that had powered the ship. The forest remained silent, waiting for movement from the wreckage.

A soft sound broke through the silence, growing as the flames began to die down.

The mouse had been the first creature to make the fatal mistake. It approached the wreckage site, cautiously. It had wanted to return to its food cache and had determined that everything was fine.

The sound grew louder as the last flame was snuffed out. The mouse froze. It did not have any frame of reference for the creature that slithered before it.

The creature remembered this energy signature. It was not gem. It was something else.

It was something new that needed to be assimilated.


End file.
